Justin Tucker kicked a last-second, 66-yard field goal against the Lions on Sunday to give the Ravens a 19-17 victory and improve Baltimore’s record to 2-1.
The incredible kick never should’ve happened after the officials missed a clear delay of game penalty prior to his attempt. Several moments passed between the time the play clock hit zeroes and the snap of the ball, but officials never whistled the play dead.
Fan footage from the stands now shows the clock inside the stadium showed exactly what we saw on television.
Check it out:
Instead of a penalty, Jackson was able to throw the ball away, ensuring Tucker’s attempt would be the final play of the game. Lead official Scott Novak addressed the situation after the game and defended his crew’s decision not to call the penalty.
“I don’t know if they’re synced up or not,” Novak said of the play clock and the TV broadcast’s play clock, per a pool report. “But as far as our mechanics, the back judge is looking at the play clock and if it were to hit zero, he sees the zero, and he then looks to see if the ball is being snapped. If the ball is being snapped, we will let the play go. If it’s not moving, it’s delay of game. Those are the mechanics that we apply on that play.”
