Why Isaiah Likely fumble out of end zone turned touchdown into touchback for Ravens originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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So close.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely was just inches from crossing the goal line for a touchdown on Thursday night.
But then the football was knocked loose.
And not only did the ball come out, but it went out the back of the end zone.
It wasn’t just not a touchdown.
It was a touchback.
The Bengals got the ball at their own 20, and the Ravens ended a promising drive with no points.
FROM NEAR TD TO A TOUCHBACK 😳
WHAT A PLAY FOR THE BENGALS
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/MW1CqBDXxu— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 28, 2025
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Why is a fumble out of the end zone a touchback?
This is one of the NFL’s quirkier rules, but it’s simply how it works.
If an offensive player fumbles from the field of play then out of the end zone, it results in a touchback.
The NFL could rule this differently. It could have the ball come back to a certain yard line.
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But that’s not the way it works.
It’s always been a touchback, and that’s still true.
Once in a while, it results in a massive momentum swing like this one.
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