Browns Digest

Did Refs Blow Crucial Safety Call in Browns vs. Steelers Game?

Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett appeared to tackle Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett in the endzone, but the officials said he was still in the field of play.

Brendan Gulick

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It's hard to quantify just how much the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers (and their fans) hate each other. With about as much intrigue leading into Sunday's AFC North showdown as you could possibly muster up pregame, an early call left Browns fans infuriated.

Cleveland started with the ball and moved a short distance before punting, pinning the Steelers back on their own 9-yard line.

That's when the top-ranked defense in the NFL roared to life.

Myles Garrett went screaming through the line of scrimmage on Kenny Pickett's first drop back, tackling him in the endzone for what appeared to be a safety. Cleveland Browns Stadium (justifiably) went absolutely bezerk.

But referee Shawn Hochuli announced that Garrett first made contact with Pickett (barely) in the field of play and that the quarterback's forward progress had been stopped just before the end zone.

Cleveland didn't challenge the call in time, as Kevin Stefanski dropped the challenge flag a split second too late. Fans were irate, feeling that points had been taken off the board early in the game.

As for Myles Garrett, Cleveland's defensive player of the year candidate is having one of the best seasons of his career - but he hasn't often played like the most dominant player on the field in rivalry games against Pittsburgh. But Garrett sure made his presence felt early on Sunday. He's now recorded 12.0 sacks this season, which leads all NFL players so far this year.

Last week, Garrett became the seventh player in NFL history to record at least 10 sacks in six consecutive seasons, joining Reggie White, John Randle, DeMarcus Ware, Jared Allen, Bruce Smith and Lawence Taylor. Garrett is the only NFL player to record at least 16 sacks in 2021 and 2022 and the only player to record at least 10 sacks in each of the past six seasons (2018-23). Garrett is the Browns all-time sack leader with 86.5 (and counting).

What did you think about the call?

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Brendan Gulick
BRENDAN GULICK

Brendan Gulick is the publisher for Browns Digest, BuckeyesNow, Cleveland Baseball Insider and Cavs Insider on the FanNation Network. He is also an accomplished host and play-by-play voice on TV and radio, including on Big Ten Network and NCAA.com where he's called 50 NCAA national championships. Gulick is an update anchor and fill-in host at 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, Ohio. 

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