CLEVELAND - The catch - or was it one? - was incredible. The ruling was incredulous.
A potential one-handed tying touchdown grab by New York tight end Chris Baker in the final minute was called out of bounds, giving the Cleveland Browns a 20-13 win over the Jets on Sunday.
Trailing 20-13, the Jets (4-4) stopped the Browns (2-5) on three straight running plays and got the ball back on a punt with 1:56 left. Chad Pennington, who had an otherwise atrocious day, then moved his club to the Browns 24-yard line with 1:06 left before throwing an incompletion and having a pass tipped.
On fourth-and-4, Pennington dropped back and ducked underneath a blitz from safety Sean Jones before lofting a pass to the near right corner for Baker. The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Baker leaped and hauled in Pennington's pass with one hand as he soared through the air.
But before he could get either of his feet down, Baker was drilled from the side by defensive back Brodney Pool, who sent Baker sprawling out of bounds. Baker held the ball and the officials did not immediately make a call. They huddled for several seconds before referee Mike Carey said Baker could not have made the catch in bounds.
Because it was a judgment call, the play is not reviewable under the NFL's instant replay system.







