Browns seemed to recover fumble, so why did refs give it to Washington?

The rule of thumb is that a lot of craziness happens in the bottom of a pile after an NFL fumble, but whoever comes out of the pile with the ball wins possession.

That’s why the Cleveland Browns were confused on Sunday. Browns running back Duke Johnson had the ball raised over his head, and didn’t even have to fight with the Washington Redskins to get it. But the officials gave possession to the Redskins anyway.

Here’s the scenario: The Browns trailed 24-20 with less than 10 minutes left. The Browns are 0-3 but had a shot at an upset and their first win this season. Johnson took a handoff and ran past midfield before he was hit and fumbled. Johnson almost immediately came out of the pile holding the ball:

But official Sarah Thomas, with Johnson standing nearby holding the ball up, started pointing the other way, signaling that the Redskins had possession.

Huh?

Browns players told ESPN.com that Thomas said in a huddle that she saw a Washington player with the ball on the ground. Redskins linebacker Will Compton is credited in the stats with the fumble recovery, though it doesn’t seem like any Redskins player had clear possession of the ball on the ground before Johnson grabbed it. Without video evidence to overturn the on-field call — all turnovers are reviewed — the call stood.

“There’s frustration,” Jackson told ESPN.com. “But when the official tells you it’s already been reviewed and it’s their ball, there’s nothing I can do. I can yell, scream or do whatever. It’s not going to change the call.”

The Browns lost 31-20, and fell to 0-4.

The Browns are going to lose plenty of games this rebuilding season, but this one had to hurt a bit more. Johnson grabbed the ball that squirted out of the pile and the officials gave possession to the other team. That’s hard to take.
The Falcons are legit, the Broncos are on track: NFL Week 4 wrapup

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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