BALTIMORE (AP) — Isaiah Likely clasped his hands around the football in the end zone and took a couple of steps forward. The referee signaled a touchdown, and the Baltimore Ravens and their fans began to celebrate the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter of a pivotal game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
An instant later, the touchdown call was overturned. A replay review showed Likely lost control of the ball before taking a third step with it, and the incomplete pass turned out to be a significant factor in Baltimore's 27-22 defeat Sunday.
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols (26) tackles Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
In a season that hasn't remotely met expectations, the Ravens were dealt another devastating blow by a very close and controversial call.
At first glance, it appeared as if Likely held the ball long enough before Pittsburgh cornerback Joey Porter Jr. knocked if from the tight end's grasp. That's certainly how Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson saw it.
“If you were on the field with us, I believe you’d have thought it was a touchdown, too,” Jackson said afterward. “But I can’t do the ref’s job. So, it is what it is.”
Heck, even Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers was getting ready to get on the field in comeback mode.
“I was thinking, we got to put a drive together," Rodgers said. “And then they moved the ball back, and they’re lining up for the next play.”
The definition of a catch is not common knowledge, but the refs were on top of it.
NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth said: “The receiver controlled the ball in the air, had his right foot down, then his left foot down. The third step is an act common to the game, and before he could get his third foot down, the ball was ripped out. Therefore, it was an incomplete pass.”
The call came on a first down play from the Pittsburgh 13 with 2:43 remaining and the score 27-22. Jackson still had three more chances to get the ball in the end zone, but his fourth down pass from the 8 fell incomplete.
“We wanted it to be a touchdown, but unfortunately it wasn’t,” Jackson said. “So we just tried to do what we could to drive the ball down the field and put points on the board.”
Baltimore got the ball back one more time just after the two-minute warning, but the game ended with Jackson being sacked at the Pittsburgh 38. With the defeat, the Ravens (6-7) fell a game behind the rival Steelers for first place in the AFC North.
Things might have been different had Likely maintained his grip on the ball.
“You’ve got to live with the ref’s call,” Likely said.
That wasn't the only call that failed to go Baltimore's way. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Rodgers was seemingly intercepted on a batted ball that went high in the air and was grabbed by Rodgers and Ravens linebacker Teddye Buchanan. Officials called it an interception, then decided that Rodgers had possession when his knee hit the ground.
“The offense had initial control of the ball and ended up being down by contact,” Butterworth said.
Two close calls, both of which did not work out for Baltimore, contributed heavily to dropping the Ravens below .500 and a game out of first place.
“We still have four games left. We can still turn it around, I believe,” Jackson said.
But when asked his level of frustration at this point in a disappointing season, he quickly replied, “Through the roof!”
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols (26) tackles Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) celebrates after a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (24) breaks up a pass intended for Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa warmed up pretty quickly against the New York Jets and put his cold weather woes on ice.
Tagovailoa threw a touchdown pass to stay undefeated against his AFC East rivals, Miami rushed for three scores and the Dolphins ran away with a 34-10 victory Sunday for their fourth straight win. The defense also stifled an already struggling Jets offense.
“That's a formula to win games in December,” coach Mike McDaniel said.
Tagovailoa improved to 7-0 against the Jets as a starter and 8-0 overall in games in which he has played against the AFC East rivals. And with the temperature 41 degrees at kickoff, Tagovailoa moved to 1-7 in his career when the temperature is 46 or colder.
“I felt good, but it’s football," Tagovailoa said. “Whether it’s hot, whether it's cold, you've got to go out there and you've got to play.”
De'Von Achane ran for 92 yards and a touchdown before leaving in the second quarter with a rib injury following a 29-yard run, but McDaniel said the star running back could've returned in “an emergency.”
He wasn't needed, though. Jaylen Wright filled in and had a career-high 107 yards and his first NFL score. Rookie Ollie Gordon II also ran for a TD for Miami (6-7), which rushed for 239 yards overall and has won five of its last six to remain in the playoff hunt after starting the season 1-6.
“I don’t think I’ve been in the league where I’ve had a stretch necessarily like this one," Tagovailoa said, "in terms of the start to the year and finding that flow toward the later end of the year.”
Tagovailoa was 13 of 21 for 127 yards with a touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle before sitting for the final minutes with the game well in hand. Zach Wilson, New York's No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, finished for Miami.
Zach Sieler had 2 1/2 of the Dolphins' six sacks of the Jets (3-10), who were officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss. It's the 15th straight year — the NFL's longest active drought — without a postseason appearance for New York.
“This game was definitely disappointing," first-year coach Aaron Glenn said. "Really hard to try to put this in words. The only thing I can say is I didn’t have these guys ready to play. That was obvious by the way we went out there and played.”
Undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook made his regular-season NFL debut for the Jets when he replaced the injured Tyrod Taylor with 3:39 remaining in the first quarter. Taylor left with what the team announced was a groin injury. Glenn didn't have an immediate update on Taylor, who was 1 for 4 for 6 yards and an interception.
Cook, who was Taylor's backup because Justin Fields was ruled out with knee soreness, was 14 of 30 for 163 yards and two interceptions. The rookie said he “absolutely” felt more comfortable as the game went on after a rough start.
“I think you definitely saw flashes there in the fourth quarter of us moving the ball," Cook said. "We need more of it.”
On Miami's opening drive, Tagovailoa was hit as he was throwing, but got enough on the pass to complete it to Waddle for a 3-yard touchdown that gave Miami a 7-0 lead.
Achane made it 14-0 a few minutes later with a 13-yard touchdown run to cap Miami's second possession.
“We knew they were going to come out fast and the biggest thing was us coming out fast, too,” Jets linebacker Quincy Williams said. “We didn't do that the first series. ... We didn't show up earlier.”
Tyrel Dodson gave the Dolphins the ball right back when Taylor's pass went off Mason Taylor's hands and right to the linebacker. It was originally called an incompletion, but McDaniel challenged the call and it was ruled via video review that Dodson kept the ball from hitting the ground for an interception by pinning it between his knees.
Tyrod Taylor, who made his third straight start in place of the benched Fields, was hurt on the play.
Isaiah Williams gave the Jets a spark when he returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown — his second score on a punt return this season — to make it 21-7 with 20 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Trailing 24-7 late in the third quarter, New York's special teams again came up big. With Austin McNamara set to punt on fourth-and-8, Malachi Moore took the direct snap and then lateraled to Isaiah Davis, who gained 20 yards and a first down.
The Jets' offense stalled, though, and New York settled for Nick Folk's 31-yard field goal.
Dolphins: LB Caleb Johnson left in the first quarter with a shoulder injury and didn't return. ... S Elijah Campbell was ruled out in the third with knee and ankle injuries.
Jets: Glenn said TE Mason Taylor has a stinger. ... TE Stone Smartt has a possible concussion. ... Rookie DE Tyler Baron was ruled out with a knee injury. ... Rookie LB Kiko Mauigoa cleared the concussion protocol, but didn’t return because of a shoulder injury.
Dolphins: Take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh next Monday night.
Jets: Travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars next Sunday.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Miami Dolphins cornerback Rasul Douglas (26) intercepts a pass intended for New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III (3) at the goal line during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II (31) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) passes against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (28) carries the ball for a touchdown against New York Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) reacts during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
