Browns lose potential touchdown after Amari Cooper incorrectly ruled out of bounds
The Cleveland Browns should have been heading into halftime up 17-3 over the Tennessee Titans but a wildly wrong call by field judge Jeff Shears cost Amari Cooper a potential touchdown.
DeShaun Watson, who did not throw a backward pass on this one, hit Cooper along the sidelines at the Titans' 40-yard line late in the second quarter. Cooper shook off cornerback Kristian Fulton before faking out safety Amani Hooker with a double move and had eyes for the end zone. But it was not to be as an inadvertent whistle ended the play, with the field judge ruling Cooper stepped out of bounds.
Amari Cooper, take a bow for this! #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/Vs7nQwZDWT
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) September 24, 2023
Cooper clearly did not step out and should have had a big gain, at least, if not a 65-yard touchdown added to the box score.
As CBS NFL rules analyst Gene Steratore noted the play was not reviewable and the ball would be placed at the Tennessee 40-yard line. The Browns had to settle for a field goal after going three-and-out following Cooper's catch and went into halftime up 13-3.
"I definitely got robbed of a touchdown because the safety, he was cooked," said Cooper afterward via Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram. "It was over with. I was going to make a move on him and score 100 percent. I didn't step out of bounds. I knew I didn't step out of bounds."
Cooper added that he heard that the official apologized for the error.
Cleveland would go on to win 27-3 to improve to 2-1.
