Sunday’s AFC Wild Card playoff game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens changed on a wild goal-line sequence that ended with a touchdown by the Chargers.
The Chargers were up 12-3 and had the ball at the Baltimore 2-yard line just before the end of the third quarter. On second down, Philip Rivers completed a pass to Derek Watt, who fell down and tried to roll into the end zone. The ruling on the field was that Watt was down at the 1. The Chargers challenged, thinking that he had scored a touchdown. The ruling on the field stood, costing the Chargers a timeout.
I am very surprised that this was not overturned to a touchdown in #LACvsBAL. When the defender first contacted the runner, the ball looked to have broken the plane of the goal line. pic.twitter.com/GCau8Jqzpv
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) January 6, 2019
If you thought that was controversial, just wait until what happened the next play.
On third down, the Chargers handed the ball to Melvin Gordon, who was tripped by Eric Weddle in the backfield. Gordon was stumbling towards the goal line and fell down, but he tried to stretch out to extend the ball across the plane first. He lost control of the ball and the Ravens recovered his fumble, but the refs blew the play dead.
Was Melvin Gordon short, did he score, or did he fumble?
Marlon Humphrey returns the alleged fumble 99 yards…but it's OVERTURNED! pic.twitter.com/N4TfmEPztc
— BetQL (@betqlapp) January 6, 2019
Gordon should be down at 1! #RavensFlock #FightForEachOther pic.twitter.com/4dNupHpB0c
— Off The Clock Sports (@offclockpodcast) January 6, 2019
On a review, the officials determined Gordon was down before he lost the football. The Chargers retained possession and went for it on 4th-and-goal at the 1, looking to put the game away. They handed to Gordon again, who walked in easily for a touchdown this time. The Chargers even got the 2-point conversion to go up 20-3.
Ravens fans will probably be wondering about that fumble by Gordon, thinking of what could have been had that call been changed.
