Jim Irsay says NFL admitted officials made mistakes at end of Browns-Colts, which he's not allowed to say
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay would like people to know that the NFL thinks its officials erred in his team's highly controversial loss, even if the league doesn't want him saying it.
Two days after the Colts fell to the Cleveland Browns on a pair of questionable calls, Irsay posted two updates on social media: 1) Anthony Richardson's shoulder surgery was a success and 2) the NFL admitted to him that its officials did not make the correct calls at the end of Sunday's game.
URGENT NFL/COLTS NEWS:
🏈 #5 QB Anthony Richardson’s surgery today in LA was a success! It was a long procedure and his shoulder injury has been repaired. No new surprises were found during surgery - they just repaired what was expected. Anthony is doing well and thanks everyone…— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) October 25, 2023
The important part of Irsay's message:
The NFL admits and understands that they did not make the correct calls at end of Sunday’s Colts/Browns Game. I believe we need to institute Instant Replay for all calls, including Penalties, in the last two minutes of All Games.
That post might earn Irsay a call and possibly a fine from the league, as NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted minutes later that team officials are prohibited from sharing the NFL's weekly communications with teams about various calls.
Most likely, Irsay knows this and does not care.
Browns-Colts ending was controversial, to say the least
The calls in question came on the Browns' final drive of the game, when they were down 38-33 with less than a minute left. On third-and-4, Colts linebacker E.J. Speed strip-sacked Browns quarterback P.J. Walker, with defensive lineman DeForest Buckner recovering the ball for what would've been a game-sealing turnover.
We say "would've" because the play was negated by an illegal contact penalty on Colts cornerback Darrell Baker Jr., who made some contact with Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper past the 5-yard mark but not enough for the call to be immediately questioned.
Brutal finish for the Colts against the Browns.
E.J. Speed strip sacks P.J. Walker. DeForest Buckner recovers, apparently clinching the game.
But Darrell Baker is penalized for illegal contact, negating the turnover and giving the Browns a first down. pic.twitter.com/hoYe7b1Tea— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 22, 2023
The second gut punch came one play later, with the Browns having first-and-goal at the Colts' 8-yard line.
A pass from Walker to Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones fell incomplete, but Baker was again flagged, this time for pass interference on a ball that landed several yards out of play.
Was this ball uncatchable or should it have been pass interference on the Colts? pic.twitter.com/W1VpEuJOUf
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) October 22, 2023
That call moved the Browns up to the Colts' 1-yard line. Four plays later, Browns running back Kareem Hunt ran in the game-winning touchdown. The Colts got the ball back down 39-38 with 15 seconds left, and the game ended on a Gardner Minshew fumble.
As you might imagine, Baker disagreed with the calls after the game, via The Indianapolis Star:
“I don’t agree with the penalties at all,” Baker Jr. said. “When those balls are uncatchable, usually they don’t throw those flags out, especially when they’re initiating the contact with the corner. You can put your hands on them, too, as long as you’re looking for the ball. I’m not impeding their force or anything. I don’t know what else I can do better on that.”
The NFL apparently agreed with Baker, but we're not supposed to know that.
