Rule 8, Section 7, Article 1 of the NFL Rule Book states that “A runner may throw a backward pass at any time. Players of either team may advance after catching a backward pass, or recovering a backward pass after it touches the ground.”
Apparently, referee Scott Novak’s crew didn’t get the memo in Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. With 3:34 left in the first half, Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett pretty clearly threw a backward pass to running back Jaylen Warren. The play was ruled an incomplete forward pass, the Packers reviewed it. and the call was upheld.
Broadcaster Charles Davis had a serious problem with that, and Davis was not wrong. Rules analyst and former NFL referee Gene Steratore tried to state a contrary case, but there’s only so much you can gloss over stuff like this.
Charles Davis doesn't have as spirited an argument with Gene Steratore that Cris Collinsowrth had with Terry McAulay, but the CBS analyst let the former head official that he disagrees, "vehemently."
Steratore really taking a stand here: "To me, it was just not enough to… pic.twitter.com/HjfadUy9Ga
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 12, 2023
I dunno, Gene… it looked pretty clear right away from this angle.