CINCINNATI —It was the sort of play that happens in the blink of an eye. What would have been a sizable gain for DK Metcalf and the Pittsburgh Steelers instead gifted the Cincinnati Bengals even more momentum nearing halftime on Thursday night .
Down 14-10 and trying to add to the scoreboard before the midway point, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fired a pass toward the left sideline on a second-and-13 from the hosts' 44-yard line.
Reaching back over his right shoulder while keeping stride, Metcalf couldn't get a good grip on it. As he tried to pull the ball in and peer ahead, a diving DJ Turner II got his right forearm between it and Metcalf's chest, slapping it loose from the receiver's left hand. Metcalf covered the ball with that hand again as he braced for the approaching Geno Stone to lower his shoulder into his chest, but Turner's arm was pinned in his grasp — and under the football — as well.
After Stone sent Metcalf sidelineward, Turner plucked the ball from his grasp and bounced his right knee off the turf.
Six plays later, Evan McPherson nailed a 49-yard field goal to sound the horn on the first half. He booted another one, from 23 yards out, about halfway through the third frame, giving the Bengals a 20-10 advantage.
Metcalf had a simple solution for the turnover.
"I've gotta hold on to the fucking ball," he said after a 33-31 defeat.
The NFL's Vice President of Instant Replay, Mark Butterworth, addressed the pick, saying, "We did have initial control by the receiver and before he completes the process of the catch, the defender gains control of the ball, and the defender had his knee down in bounds and then completes the process of the catch as he goes out of bounds.
"So, since the receiver did not complete the process of the catch, he was not down by contact."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers WR DK Metcalf Offers Blunt Assessment of Controversial Interception
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