2. The referees may have saved the game with yet another blown call
With less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter, the only thing that could have provided the Colts with a chance to score would be a devastating turnover. The worst-case scenario unfolded as Deshaun Watson fumbled on a six-yard carry after Darius Leonard barreled through to strip the ball away.
At first glance, “The Maniac” pried the ball away and would have given Indianapolis new life to attempt a last-minute comeback, but the officials intervened.
In #INDvsHOU, officials on the field ruled a fumble recovered by the offense. There was no clear visual evidence of a recovery by the defense.
— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) November 22, 2019
The NFL Officiating Twitter page declared: “Officials on the field ruled a fumble recovered by the offense. There was no clear visual evidence of a recovery by the defense.”
The key terminology of “no clear visual evidence” doesn’t exactly mean that a fumble did not occur; it purely means that the obstructed view was inconclusive, and a ruling is not capable of being made one way or another.
Even worse, Watson is such a good guy that he admitted to Leonard he fumbled, yet the ruling on the field did not change. Plays like this happen all the time, but with less than two minutes to go, the play could not be challenged and ultimately swung in favor of the Texans.