The Cleveland Browns were flagged five times in the first quarter Thursday night, but it was a flag officials never threw that sparked an early officiating controversy.
Deshaun Watson looked downfield for rookie receiver Denzel Boston against the Pittsburgh Steelers. No pass interference penalty followed, drawing criticism from fans, reporters and commentators who believed contact on Boston warranted a flag.
Skip Bayless delivered one of the strongest reactions, calling out Steelers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.’s coverage of Boston and the officials’ decision to let the play go.
“Outrageous uncalled pass interference on Samuel grabbing and pulling on Boston. Come on, NFL. This is the most blown call in sports. Ask the Rams,” Bayless wrote on X.
Cleveland entered Thursday at 2-1 after consecutive wins over Tampa Bay and Carolina. With Pittsburgh also 2-1, the division rivals were playing for an early lead in the AFC North.
NFL Reporters Question No-Call on Denzel Boston
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson also questioned how the contact on Boston went unpunished, joining the criticism of the crew’s handling of Watson’s deep shot.
“Dude. How do you miss this.” Robinson wrote on X with a photo of Boston being grabbed around the collar.
Browns reporter Camryn Justice suggested the play provided a straightforward example of pass interference.
“Alexa, define ‘pass interference.’” Justice posted.
Under the NFL’s rules, grabbing a receiver’s arm in a way that restricts his opportunity to catch the ball can constitute pass interference. A defensive pass interference penalty downfield gives the offense a first down at the spot of the foul. Incidental contact is permitted, and officials must judge whether the contact significantly hindered the receiver’s chance to catch the pass.
A flag on Watson’s deep throw could have given Cleveland the ball inside the 10-yard line and a fresh set of downs. However, Cleveland did respond, scoring on their next possession following a Denzel Ward interception.
Browns Had Vowed to Clean Up Penalties
The officiating controversy came alongside Cleveland’s continuing discipline problems. The Browns were penalized on the opening kickoff and finished the first quarter with five penalties for 40 yards.
That followed 12 penalties for 84 yards in Sunday’s 21-18 win over Carolina. Cleveland had found a way to win despite its mistakes, but head coach Todd Monken made clear afterward that the performance fell short of his expectations.
Cleveland was also penalized 11 times in its season-opening loss to Jacksonville and six times in its win over Tampa Bay. The Carolina total pushed the Browns to 29 penalties through three games.
“We’re going to be a damn good football team once Browns stop hurting Browns,” Monken said.
Monken pointed to alignment, shifts, motions and the snap count, while acknowledging that the same problems had not been appearing in practice. He also addressed right tackle Tytus Howard’s three false starts against Carolina, speaking directly with Howard about correcting it.
“It’s got to be fixed. It’s got to be fixed in a hurry with a short week,” Monken said.
Browns-Steelers Refs Ripped for ‘Outrageous’ Missed Call