Former NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino believes strongly that officials should have reversed the ruling of a forward pass thrown by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers and replay should have given the Packers the ball inside the 5-yard line.
The play — a throw from Pickett to running back Jaylen Warren in the right flat — was ruled an incomplete pass. Packers coach Matt LaFleur challenged, but the ruling on the field stood.
“I was surprised that the ruling on the field stood,” Blandino said in a video at The 33rd Team. “That was a backwards pass…If I’m making this decision in replay, I’m reversing it, I’m making it a backwards pass and I’m giving the Packers the ball at the Steelers 3.”
Blandino said one specific angle — a low angle shot from right around the 9-yard line — provided more than enough video evidence to overturn the call. Not only does Blandino think the ball doesn’t go forward, but he’s certain it went backwards. He said the one angle showed Pickett releasing the ball at the 9-yard line but Warren contacting the ball behind the 9.
“I felt it was clearly backward,” Blandino said.
The Packers had a clear and immediate recovery of the ball and would have been given possession inside the 5-yard line had the call be reversed. Instead, the Steelers punted the ball away, and the Packers eventually went three-and-out on their next possession.
At the very least, the missed call cost the Packers three points. They ended up losing by four, and the final play was a desperation shot into the end zone with the Packers well within field goal range.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said the decision not to overturn the call was “baffling.”
