Remember This: Ravens Out of Challenges in Second Quarter

As the AFC Championship Game wears on, you may want to remember this moment.

With 5:09 to play in the second quarter, Ben Roethlisberger hit Nate Washington on third down. The play got the Steelers a first down, but there was some question whether Washington caught the ball. He appeared to bobble it as he went to the ground.

Unfortunately for Harbaugh and the Ravens, the call stood after a challenge.

It was a double-whammy for Baltimore, even though the Pittsburgh possession stalled and ended in a punt.

For starters, the failed challenge meant the Ravens were charged with a timeout. That's normally enough punishment, but it wasn't the worst part about this.

An earlier Roethlisberger pass, this one to Santonio Holmes, was overturned on a Baltimore challenge. No one is here to question the decision of Harbaugh to challenge this call. He won it, and instead of almost a sure touchdown, Pittsburgh had to settle for a field goal to take a 6-0 lead. That four-point swing could be huge in this game.

But so could the fact that Baltimore is now out of challenges for the game.

I know our friend Matt Snyder doesn't want me to say this, but the likelihood of there being a bad call the Ravens will want to challenge is pretty high. Now, unless that bad call happens inside of two minutes to play in either half or in overtime, there will be no review.

This may end up being meaningless, but it also may add another obstacle for the Ravens to overcome in search of an AFC title.