Via Shutdown Corner…
The play was close enough to warrant a measurement, and the picture above is a screenshot of that measurement. The guy pulled the big first down stick, the ball wasn’t quite there, so no first down, correct?
Incorrect, as it turns out. The official, Walt Anderson, looked at what you’re seeing above, and he ruled that it was a first down. The Steelers ended up getting a field goal out of it.
Odd. I would use a stronger word, but the Steelers were going to beat the Browns, regardless of that first down or the ensuing field goal. It didn’t affect the outcome.
Predictably, the official in question stands by his call, saying that the ball broke the plane even if the angle on the TV didn’t show it. But that’s a fairly straight on shot of the football and even if the angle were changed by a few degrees, it would still be short.
