Instant Replay Prevents Jets' Keelan Cole From Catch of the Year Nominee

New York wide receiver Keelan Cole made one of the most impressive catches of the young season on Sunday, even though it didn't count.

Jets wide receiver Keelan Cole made, perhaps, the most impressive reception of the 2021 NFL season on Sunday vs. the Bengals. 

With just over 20 seconds to play in the first half, Cole hauled in a back shoulder throw from quarterback Mike White for what looked like a touchdown.

KEELAN COLE JUST DID THAT 😱

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/3wYL4GTeRn

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 31, 2021

Following the play, Cole's reception sparked a viral reaction, with some referring to it as the "Catch of the Year."

The only problem was that Cole the standout touchdown was overturned after replay review. The NFL's officiating feed wrote on Twitter that while Cole had "possession of the ball when airborne," when "he hit the ground he immediately loses control of the ball." As a result, wrote the NFL officiating feed, "when he regained control of the ball, he was out of bounds."

Despite the reversal, the Jets would convert on the drive. Two plays later, White found wide receiver Braxton Berrios for an eight-yard touchdown to bring New York to within three points just before halftime. 

The score completed an eight-play, 67-yard drive in which White completed all but one pass—the lone incompletion being Cole's "catch."