Did Commanders get screwed over on final drive against Steelers? Sure looks like it

The Washington Commanders lost a very close Week 10 contest to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. As is the case in any close game, the officials were the storyline.

In the fourth quarter of said loss, the Commanders were driving near midfield. Washington needed a field goal to take the lead, and as we've seen several times this season, I sure wouldn't bet against Jayden Daniels in a game-winning situation.

Daniels completed a pass to Zach Ertz on fourth down close to the first-down marker. The call on the field concluded that Ertz was short of the line to gain. Unfortunately for Commanders fans, the call on the field tends to stand in such situations. So, when the play went to replay review...it did not work out in Washington's favor.

Did the Commanders get screwed over in loss to Steelers?

Football games can often be decided by a matter of inches, especially at the professional level. There is so much parity in this league, and when two teams like the Commanders and Steelers go head-to-head with very similar records, it should come as no surprise that the officials are under scrutiny.

In this case, I am okay with the call on the field standing. That's often how these plays go, as challenging a spot needs obvious evidence to the contrary to overturn the call on the field. In this case, there are multiple angles which show Ertz crossing the line to gain. However, the same can be said to benefit the Steelers defense.

Even if this blurry shot, Ertz's foot is over the first-down line. However, it should be pointed out that the yellow line on the broadcast does not always match up with the literal chains. The referees determined the football itself did not cross the line to gain. If I were a Washington fan, I'd be furious, and understandably so.

Even after the turnover on downs, the Commanders had three timeouts and chance to get the ball back. The Steelers lined up to go for it on fourth-and-1, and Russell Wilson was able to draw the Washington defensive line offsides, thus deciding the contest entirely.

A win is a win for the Steelers, but this result is sure to be dissected postgame.