Broncos wide receiver Jordan Norwood made a play so good that even his own teammates weren't expecting it. During the third quarter, the Steelers kicked a short punt and tried to down it along the sideline. No one actually covered up the ball, however, and everyone evidently forgot about Norwood, who scooted up from behind players on the Steelers' coverage unit, picked up the ball and ran 71 yards for a touchdown.
Everybody except Norwood thought that the Steelers had ended the play.The Broncos' offense started running on the field as Norwood was picking up the ball, and the team was flagged for an illegal substitution that nullified the touchdown and gave the Broncos the ball on their own 28-yard line.
Referees got lucky that the Broncos committed such a blatant foul, because it appears that the play should have been blown dead from the start. Steelers safety Shamarko Thomas appeared to touch the ball while had one foot out of bounds, which should have ended the play.
It's too bad Norwood's return didn't count. Such a heads up play deserves to be rewarded.
* * *
SB Nation presents: Cam Newton is an indestructible force