Getty Baker Mayfield, of the Cleveland Browns, warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 25, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns can’t catch a break.
The Browns’ season is on the brink after referees made a controversial decision not to whistle Green Bay Packers‘ cornerback Rasul Douglas for pass interference on his last-minute interception. The no-call probably cost Cleveland the game, or at least a great chance at winning it, and arguably cost the team its chances at a second consecutive postseason berth this January.
The play in question saw Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield take a 3rd and 10 snap from the 50-yard line with 48 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Cleveland trailed Green Bay 24-22 at the time. Browns receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones lined up on the left side of the ball. Douglas played up on him in tight man-to-man coverage.
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There was contact between the defensive back and the wide receiver from the beginning of the play, which is common and legal under NFL rules. However, those same rules mandate the contact be more or less broken five yards down the field and farther. Peoples-Jones passed the five-yard barrier but the replay video showed Douglas clearly maintained two hands on the wide receiver, grabbing two fistfuls of Peoples-Jones’ No. 11 jersey as he tried to maneuver.
As the Cleveland wideout out entered his break toward the middle of the field, it was clear he had the inside track on the Packers defender. Video again clearly showed that Douglas extended his right arm, grabbed the back of Peoples-Jones’ jersey and yanked, impeding the wide receiver from making a play on the ball and allowing Jones leverage to step in and make the game-ending interception — his second of the evening.
Following the play, Peoples-Jones can be seen furiously pleading with the refs to throw the flag for pass interference. Mayfield stood frozen with dismay in the backfield, both of his arms stretched high in the air in angry disbelief. But the whistle never came.
Had the refs called pass interference, the Browns would have moved inside the Packers’ 45 yard line with an automatic first down and more than 40 seconds to play, with all three timeouts remaining. A couple more positive yardage plays would have put Cleveland solidly within field goal range.
Browns Twitter Reacts to Missed Call
GettyWide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, of the Cleveland Browns.
While the players were expressing their displeasure on the field, the Browns faithful were doing the same thing on the internet.
The Twitter account Dawgs by Nature on Saturday lamented the lack of consistency among NFL referees, along with the undue influence they can have over the outcome of crucial games.
Hold up, THAT is PI but there wasn’t at the end of the Browns game?!?
There is no accountability for refs. None.
They have a MASSIVE influence over games. Every new rule just gives refs more power.
“Hold up, THAT is PI but there wasn’t at the end of the Browns game?!? There is no accountability for refs. None,” the tweet said. “They have a MASSIVE influence over games. Every new rule just gives refs more power.”
Several others responded to that assertion, with a varying array of takes.
@DawgsByNature It’s time for the NFL to do away with making these calls with on field refs. Given the technology that is there at all games, why can’t these calls be made from the booth?
“It’s time for the NFL to do away with making these calls with on field refs,” @John_Baier wrote. “Given the technology that is there at all games, why can’t these calls be made from the booth?”
@DawgsByNature I thought refs in basketball were bad, but one or two calls in football could change the game completely. That said, Browns were NEVER going to win in GB! Four picks was catastrophic though!😡
“I thought refs in basketball were bad, but one or two calls in football could change the game completely,” @dograven wrote. “That said, Browns were NEVER going to win in GB! Four picks was catastrophic though! 😡”
Mayfield, Stefanski Talk Missed Call Postgame
Getty ImagesCleveland Browns head coach, Kevin Stefanski.
Mayfield, for his part, did not blame the referees during the postgame press conference. Although it appeared clear that they missed an obvious pass interference call on Douglas’ last-minute interception, the Cleveland QB was also responsible for three separate picks over the course of the game.
“Little bit of contact, but you can’t bank on that being called,” Mayfield told reporters after the game. “I hurt this team. It’s frustrating. I thought our defense played great, our skill players played well, same thing with the offensive line. Backs were running their tail off. That’s why it’s frustrating for me. I hurt this team. There’s no excuse.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski also had comments on the no-call, acknowledging it without going overboard.
“I did think there was some tugging and holding on Donovan Peoples-Jones’’ he said. “I understand the officials are not going to get every call but in big moments like that, it’s tough.”
Stefanski went on to back up Mayfield when media members questioned the quarterback’s status with the team following an abysmal stat line of 21 for 36 passing for 222 yards, 2 TDs and 4 INTs. He was also sacked 5 times for a total loss of 33 yards.
“He’s our starting quarterback,” Stefanski confirmed.
Browns Safety Calls Out Mayfield, Play Calling Mid-Game Saturday
GettyJohn Johnson, of the Cleveland Browns, warms up before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
While the head coach’s support of his quarterback appeared unwavering, at least for now, some members of his team may not agree with him. At the top of that list is safety John Johnson III, who took to Twitter during the game Saturday to criticize both Mayfield’s play and Stefanski’s play calling.
RUN THE DAMN BALL🙄
“RUN THE DAMN BALL 🙄,” Johnson tweeted in all caps following Mayfield’s second pick.
Johnson was not tweeting from the sidelines. The safety was forced to miss the game after being designated to the reserve/COVID-19 list and was commenting from somewhere in isolation.
Johnson is not the first teammate to criticize Mayfield this season. Wide receiver Jarvis Landry noted back in November that several pass catchers were growing frustrated with the offense, namely Mayfield’s inability to cleanly and regularly deliver them the ball. Before that, former Browns wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and his father made a great deal of noise around Mayfield’s lack of accuracy, blaming him for the wide receiver’s lack of production and ultimately using the boisterous complaints to force an end to the tenuous professional relationship between player and team.
The Browns, with a record of 7-8, are far from through with this season and still have a chance to earn a spot in the playoffs. Now, however, they do not control their own destiny and will need help from other teams if they hope to make the postseason. Cleveland will finish the year with a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers next weekend before hosting the Cincinnati Bengals’ in the season finale on January 9.
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Browns Players, Fans React to Controversial No-Call With Anger, Disbelief