John Harbaugh: Officials said Isaiah Likely didn't get third foot down

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh opened his postgame press conference on Sunday by fielding a question about tight end Isaiah Likely's apparent touchdown catch being overturned and he quickly pivoted to other calls from the game.

Likely's score would have given the Ravens a lead in the final three minutes of what turned out to be a 27-22 loss to the Steelers, but offcials ruled he did not have control of the ball long enough for the catch to count before the ball was knocked loose. The Ravens wound up turning the ball over on downs after passing on a chance to cut the Steelers' lead to two points with a field goal.

""The explanation was that the third foot didn't get down before the ball came out," Harbaugh said. "That's what they said."

Harbaugh was then asked if he believed that was the right call and his answer pivoted to another controversial call earlier in the game. Officials initially ruled that linebacker Teddye Buchanan intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass that was batted back in the direction of the quarterback, but the call was overturned to a catch by Rodgers for a seven-yard loss after a replay. Harbaugh made it clear that he did not believe that was the right call.

"You know what, I believe a lot of things," Harbaugh said. "I think the play with - the Aaron Rodgers play - we're just talking about rules here, it's not an officiating issue. It comes from New York. But when you're making a catch, you have to survive the ground. He didn't survive the ground. He's not down by contact. He was catching the ball on the way down with another person, so you gotta make a catch there and survive the ground. I don't know why it was ruled the way it was on that one. All of those things I'm sure they'll explain it to us, but they had plenty of time to look at it and they're the ones that are the experts on the rules."

Ravens defensive tackle Travis Jones was flagged for roughing the long snapper on a Chris Boswell field goal in the second quarter and the Steelers scored a touchdown after picking up the first down on the penalty. Harbaugh could be heard yelling at officials that Jones did not make contact to Christian Kuntz's head or neck during the game and he repeated that in his press conference.

"I didn't see head and neck contact," Harbaugh said. "That is what I did not see. You need to have head and neck area contact, and it's gotta be forceful contact not incidental contact. I didn't see any contact myself."

None of the calls sat right with the Ravens, but they won't be able to change the result. They are now 6-7 and looking up at the Steelers in the AFC North.