NFL referees are far from perfect and there are small mistakes made throughout nearly every game. But one mistake made during Sunday afternoon’s showdown between the Cleveland Browns and the Tennessee Titans stood out and went viral on social media.
During Sunday afternoon’s game, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper thought he had a long touchdown reception to add to the team’s scoring total. He caught a deep pass along the sideline, broke a tackle, and juked another defender before ultimately crossing the goal line. But unfortunately for him, the play was incorrectly blown dead as a referee thought he stepped out of bounds.
Shortly after Cooper caught the ball on the sideline, the referee blew the play dead, believing that Cooper had stepped on the sideline, even though the replay shows that he wasn’t even really close to the sideline.
Amari Cooper was robbed of a Browns touchdown because he was ruled out of bounds. 🏈🤔🦓pic.twitter.com/d8YduC1Prr
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 24, 2023
Since the referee blew the play dead, the play could not be reviewed to correct the call and award the Browns with the touchdown.
It was a brutal break for the Browns and a horrible mistake for the referee, and the NFL world absolutely blasted the call on social media.
That’s awful. You can’t blow that dead. If he actually is out of bounds (wasn’t even close) you have replay to bring it back. The officials are taught to let anything close go so it can be corrected. Unexplainable whistle there. #Browns
— Brad Ward (@WardonSports) September 24, 2023
Amari Cooper was hosed on what might've been a TD catch here.
Called out of bounds… Wasn't anywhere close. https://t.co/IqSuVpfc7z
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) September 24, 2023
Honestly one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen lol https://t.co/VoTzzMkgPM
— Tre (@TreJeanNFL) September 24, 2023
Millions of fantasy matchups are officially under protest https://t.co/Hczul7GSFu
— Clem (@TheClemReport) September 24, 2023
The sideline judge is looking right at the play & Steratore calls it a lapse in concentration gtfoh https://t.co/fJE54P3yxC
— Nick Wilson (@NickWilsonSays) September 24, 2023
Classic NFL ref moment https://t.co/LOJ1yg6Dvk
— A1FantasySports (@a1fantasy23) September 24, 2023
It’s probably the worst call of the NFL season so far.
