OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The NFL acknowledged that an officiating mistake cost the Baltimore Ravens a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
League spokesman Michael Signora said the Jacksonville Jaguars should've been penalized for a false start on their final play from scrimmage, which would've resulted in a 10-second runoff and a 20-19 victory for the Ravens.
Instead, the Jaguars were allowed to snap the ball, and Elvis Dumervil was flagged for a facemask of quarterback Blake Bortles. Jason Myers then kicked a game-winning 53-yard field goal with no time remaining for a controversial 22-20 win for the Jaguars.
"The correct call in this case would have been to penalize the offense for a false start because all 11 players were not set, and whistle to stop the play," Signora said. "The ensuing 10-second runoff should have ended the game."
On replays, it looked like the Jaguars' offensive line, specifically left tackle Luke Joeckel, were not set, which should've drawn an illegal procedure penalty. That would've led to a 10-second runoff, and the Ravens would've preserved a 20-19 victory.
"They didn't get the snap off in the sense that they didn't get everybody set," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. "The league looks at it, they know it. There is nothing we can do about it now. It's unfortunate. It's disappointing. It's gut-wrenching. It's just the way it goes."
Close games have defined the Ravens' dismal 2-7 season. Baltimore is the first team in NFL history to start a season with nine straight games decided by eight points or fewer, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"In the end, we have to overcome all that stuff," Harbaugh said. "I don't care about officiating. I don't care about weather. I don't care about field conditions. I don't care about our opponent. That's the way our guys look at it. It does not matter. You have to find a way to overcome everything. That's just what you have to do."
