NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino Admits 'Bad Visual' on Duke Johnson Fumble

The NFL stood in support of line judge Sarah Thomas after she ruled Washington recovered an apparent fumble in Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns even though Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr. was holding the ball when the call was made.

Per ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert, NFL Senior Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino said it was a "bad visual" having Johnson hold the ball while Thomas made the call for Washington before adding he supported the decision because she saw a Washington player recover the ball before it was taken away.

In addition to Blandino's response to the call, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the NFL offered this explanation for the decision:

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The on-field ruling was a fumble, recovered by Washington. It was confirmed as a fumble in instant replay without the need to stop the game. As to the recovery, several different angles were looked at, but with nothing definitive shown, there was no need to stop the game because the on-field ruling that awarded possession to Washington would have stood.

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Johnson was diplomatic about the play after the game. The Browns running back told Cabot he thought he recovered the ball, "but at the end of the day, I can't fumble.''

The play came at a critical moment in the game. The Browns were trailing 24-20 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but Johnson had just crossed into Washington territory on a first-down run before he fumbled.

The Browns defense would force a punt four plays later to get the ball back to the offense. Rookie quarterback Cody Kessler then threw an interception on second down, leading to Matt Jones' rushing touchdown for Washington that helped make the score 31-20 with less than five minutes to play.

This season has already been an uphill battle for the winless Browns, who are 0-4 heading into Week 5's game against New England. They need all the help they can get, so an apparent missed call at a critical spot in the game is not going to help their cause.