Ball don’t lie: 3 worst calls from Week 8 in the NFL

3. Kareem Hunt taken down by his facemask

Much of the Browns recent downturn is of their own doing. Baker Mayfield hasn’t been anything close to a capable quarterback. Injuries on offense — primarily those to Nick Chubb and Odell Beckham, Jr. — have made Cleveland predictable, and easy to defend against. But Cleveland was wronged by the officiating crew on two instances this past Sunday in a jarring 16-6 loss to the Raiders. The first was a play that should’ve resulted in a Jarvis Landry touchdown, and the second was the following facemask on Kareem Hunt which stunningly went uncalled.

Hunt’s facemask wasn’t just grabbed, but his head was twisted in rather dangerous fashion. The Raiders defender brought him down by the helmet feature meant to protect players. The irony doesn’t escape me, and yet an official a mere yards away failed to see this transgression happening right in front of his eyes. Even if the significance pales in comparison to some of the missed calls we’ve seen this season, the brutality and sheer obvious nature of Hunt’s head being pulled and twisted made this an easy choice for worst of the week.

Recap: As the games get bigger, and the stage brighter, the calls seem to worsen. It’s a fact of life. All three of the teams wronged in this week’s edition of Ball Don’t Lie lost critical Week 8 games. The Browns could’ve made up a game on the Ravens in attempting to fight for a Wild Card spot in the AFC. Had the Packers taken care of the underdog Vikings, they’d have a big advantage over the Bears in the NFC North. And if the Ravens were given just a few extra seconds on Sunday and, perhaps, upset the Steelers, they’d be in first in the AFC North. Instead, I’m speaking of “what if’s.” That’s good for a C-, and I’m feeling generous.