NFL rules analyst Gene Steratore explains where officials were right, wrong in Steelers-Ravens game

“NFL on CBS” rules analyst Gene Steratore is sticking by his original analysis from Sunday’s Steelers-Ravens game.

When it comes to those three controversial calls that helped Pittsburgh win 27-22, the officials got two of them right.

Even if Baltimore hates how the rules are written.

Making his weekly appearance on the “‘DVE Morning Show,” Steratore of Uniontown/Washington, Pa. said that by the letter of the law, Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely didn’t complete the action of a catch during his touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, and the replay officials were right to overturn the call.

Did Isaiah Likely have this ball long enough to call it a touchdown?

The refs said no after review ????????????pic.twitter.com/DkvRTtxadl

— Covers (@Covers) December 7, 2025

“The third foot doesn’t get down. Just as his third foot goes to hit the ground, the ball does pop out right before it, and it’s within three frames. Therein lies everything that’s happening,” Steratore said. “That’s that window, and this play went right to this edge.”

As for the play where Aaron Rodgers was eventually deemed to have caught his own batted pass and was ruled down before losing possession of the football, Steratore said that was a proper ruling as well.

That’s despite Ravens coach John Harbaugh protesting that Rodgers didn’t complete the action of going to the ground before the Ravens got the ball away from him.

“I never saw anything like that play,” Steratore said.

“If he’s already on the ground now, and it’s clear completed possession, and then (Rodgers) gets hit, it’s not going to the ground now. He was there whenever the possession took place, and then the contact, or the stripping of the ball.”

Rodgers catches his own pass!‼️ pic.twitter.com/1JJ6nuSl0i

— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) December 7, 2025

While Steratore said that window of time was really close between Rodgers being down and eventually losing possession of the ball to Teddye Buchanan, the replay officials were right to award Pittsburgh the ball because, similar to baseball rules, tied/joint/disputed possession goes to the offense.

“Offense wins all ties, just like baseball. Bang, bang at first base. Ball in glove. Foot on base. Tie goes to the runner,” Steratore said.

Where Steratore believes the officials got it wrong was on a personal foul call against the Ravens for illegal contact on Steelers’ long snapper Christian Kuntz during a field goal. Baltimore was flagged for hitting Kuntz, who is a protected player in that situation.

“I think they missed that. I did verbalize that on air,” Steratore said. “They never really did contact the head (and) neck area. Even if it’s not head/neck area, if it’s violent enough and you go into him and blast him, trample him — foul. But these two players (No. 98 Travis Jones, No. 91 C.J. Okoye), to me, rush the A-gap, as they’re taught to do. There was some incidental contact with the center, but nothing that would have risen to the level of contact to a defenseless player.”

Ravens found themselves on the wrong end of two brutal calls this afternoon: Travis Jones' personal foul and Isaiah Likely's overturned touchdown. pic.twitter.com/eEXkrdX9Gj

— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) December 7, 2025

As a result of the personal foul, the Steelers took the points off the board from the field goal, went back on offense and ended up scoring a touchdown.

So as a result of those three disputed plays, the Ravens suffered at least a negative 10-point swing and lost an interception.

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