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Did Tyler Boyd really fumble? Controversial call costs the Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals had a shot at an enormous comeback on Sunday, until a Tyler Boyd fumble in the final two minutes.

That is, if it was a fumble.

There was a lot of controversy surrounding Boyd’s final fumble, which practically sealed a 24-16 Steelers win. James Harrison hit Boyd and the ball came free, but it looked like Boyd’s knee was down before the ball came loose.

Was Tyler Boyd's knee down before he fumbled? (NFL.com screen shot)
Was Tyler Boyd’s knee down before he fumbled? (NFL.com screen shot)

But the play was reviewed, as all turnovers are, and the call on the field stood. It was a fumble, and the Steelers took possession. The Bengals got one more play in the final seconds but couldn’t hit a miracle.

Had Boyd’s knee been ruled down and the fumble call was reversed, the Bengals would have had second-and-4 at the Steelers 33-yard line with plenty of time left. That’s a tough way to lose.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!