Baltimore Ravens at odds with officials after overturned touchdown

Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterJamison Hensley has covered the Baltimore Ravens since 2011, initially covering AFC North before shifting focus exclusively onto them starting 2013. Jamison joined ESPN full-time as an AFC North reporter before shifting focus solely onto Ravens coverage starting 2013. Jamison earned the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, as well as authoring Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens book in 2017. Additionally, he served as Ravens beat writer for Baltimore Sun from 2000 – 2011. KANSAS CITY, Mo — Lamar Jackson could only shake his head after watching his Baltimore Ravens drop their season opener 27-20 against Kansas City Chiefs by one toe on Thursday night, as officials overturned Isaiah Likely’s last-second touchdown which resulted in their 27-20 defeat. Jackson felt this ruling wasn’t fair. One official initially ruled Likely had both feet inside of the end zone, which would have put Baltimore into position to win with a two-point conversion, but replay review confirmed his right foot touched the white out-of-bounds line, rendering his initial ruling inaccurate and nullifying any chance for victory with two point conversion. Jackson declared it as a touchdown during a postgame interview and still believes so today. Editor’s Picks2 RelatedJackson and the Ravens were ultimately defeated 1-5 against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs; but nearly pulled off one of their most dramatic comebacks ever! With five seconds remaining and at Kansas City 10-yard line, Jackson stepped into his pocket before running in a circle before throwing an inbounds pass to Likely in the back corner of the end zone just seconds before time expired. Likely jumped for it before coming down with Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton wrapped tightly around him as an armour of sorts. “When the official put both hands up to signal touchdown, Likely began celebrating by throwing his ball high into the air in celebration,” according to Likely. When an official signalled touchdown for Likely’s team, both parties looked at one another before accepting what had transpired as reality: they knew they had won their respective matchup. “Of course we won the game!” Likely said with pride. “Had Baltimore scored their touchdown, they would’ve trailed 27-26 with no time remaining before officials changed the ruling to “runner’s toe hit out of bounds,” as referee Shawn Hochuli announced.” “It was an incomplete pass. Kansas City won, and Andy Reid didn’t have a clear view as to whether Likely had entered or out,” Reid noted, but noted “those upstairs could see that Likely had left. So we just waited afterward.” Likely finished his career-best performance with nine receptions and 111 yards before appearing to injure his shoulder when landing on the corner of the end zone two plays earlier. Jackson then threw an incompletion pass towards the end zone, sending Likely back out almost scoring one of his career-defining touchdowns in three seasons with Baltimore. If this had gone ahead as planned it would’ve ended Kansas City’s streak of 23 consecutive wins when leading by 10 or more entering fourth quarter play. “Now is not the time for quibbling over calls,” Likely explained. “All we can do now is observe and study film to identify areas we can improve so as not to force refs to make these judgements themselves. Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith expressed surprise over the ruling; however, he believed there wasn’t sufficient evidence for refs to overturn it at this time and out of his hands.”