An ESPN report on Saturday said the NFL has acknowledged that referee bad a bad call and cost the Cleveland Browns a fumble recovery against the Oakland Raiders in a game that went 45-42 in overtime this past Sunday.
The fumble was one of several debatable calls in the game. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr lost the ball when Browns players Myles Garrett and Genard Avery hit him at Oakland's 38-yard line, ESPN reported. Garrett soon recovered and started a return towards the end zone — only to have the referee step in.
According to ESPN, the referee ruled that a whistle had been blown before the fumble because Carr's forward progress had been stopped. The play was ruled a sack and the Raiders punted on Fourth down, ESPN reported.
"We rule the passer stopped for forward progress and we kill the play. This is not forward progress. Obviously, this is a fumble. We should not have blown the whistle," The NFL said in a Twitter video released on Friday.
According to NFL rules, the call wasn't reviewable.
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