When the Cleveland Browns host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8, the home fans are hoping the Raiders are the only foe the Browns are combatting. That was not the case in the last matchup between these two teams.
Flashback to Week 4 of 2018. The Browns have a 42-34 lead late in the game after Nick Chubb gashed the Raiders defense for a 41-yard TD. The Browns defense had just held up against the Raiders, forcing a Derek Carr incompletion to Amari Cooper on 4th down. It’s 3rd-and-2 with under two minutes to play and the game is over when Carlos Hyde runs for two yards up the middle.
Except a booth review initiated from the league office decides that there is conclusive evidence Hyde didn’t make it. Not one person watching the game, including FOX officiating analyst Dean Blandino, believed there was any justification for overturning the spot — especially in a game where an obvious mis-spotting of the ball earlier in the game was not overturned. Referee Walt Anderson and his crew also missed an obvious illegal procedure penalty on an earlier Raiders scoring drive.
The Raiders went on to win in overtime.
The call, which angered the FOX broadcast crew in real-time, left the Browns players incredibly frustrated.
This is how it looked in the NFL’s official game book:
(1:41) 34-C.Hyde up the middle to CLV 19 for 2 yards (56-D.Johnson; 59-T.Whitehead). Officials to measure for 1st down – Unsuccessful. The Replay Official reviewed the first down ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 34-C.Hyde up the middle to CLV 18 for 1 yard (56-D.Johnson; 59-T.Whitehead). Officials to measure for 1st down – 1st down.
Here’s hoping referee Bill Vinovich and his officiating crew don’t interject themselves into the outcome of Sunday’s game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Here’s also hoping the NFL doesn’t force them to do that, either.
Editor note – A portion of this article previously appeared in a piece I wrote for RealGM Football.