By Teresa Varley
Steelers.com
A fumble recovery that was initially ruled a touchdown for Troy Polamalu and then taken away after an official's review, should have stood according to NFL referee Scott Green who called the game.
The touchdown in question occurred on the final play of the game. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers completed a three-yard pass to LaDainian Tomlinson, who then lateraled it to Chris Chambers. Chambers fumbled the ball while trying to lateral it.
Polamalu picked up the loose ball and took it 12 yards for what appeared to be the Steelers only touchdown of the game.
The play was reviewed and the officials ruled that there was an illegal forward pass with the ball hitting the ground, ruling the play dead.
But confusion on which lateral was illegal led to the wrong call being made.
"The first pass was the one that was illegal but it only kills the play if it hits the ground," said Green. "That was incorrect to have killed that at that point. The ruling should have let the play go on. That's just the way that it played out. We believe the second pass was legal."
And as a result, the touchdown should have stood.
"We should have let the play go through in the end, yes," said Green. "It was misinterpreted that instead of killing the play we should have let the play go through."
