CLEVELAND — After missing the Cleveland Browns’ past 10 games with a fractured wrist, David Njoku appeared to haul in a 13-yard pass on his team’s opening drive vs. the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
But upon being wrestled to the ground, the third-year tight end had the ball ripped away by Bengals linebacker Nick Vigil, who returned the ball to the Cincinnati 49-yard line on what was initially ruled a fumble.
Replays, however, appeared to show that Njoku was clearly down by contact and that if nothing else, had secured a catch in which the tie would go to the receiver. Yet despite reviewing the call, officials ruled that the fumble and return would stand, in a decision that set social media ablaze.
Ultimately, the damage done to the Browns by the call wound up being minimal as Denzel Ward went on to intercept Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, returning the ball for a 61-yard touchdown. Ward’s pick-six gave Cleveland a 7-3 over Cincinnati, who entered Sunday’s game laying claim to an NFL-worst 1-11 record.
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