THE NFL has admitted that it made a mistake in penalizing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were given a penalty on a blocked extra point that was incorrect.
The NFL has admitted they made an incorrect call against the Pittsburgh Steelers[/caption]
Head coach Mike Tomlin shared that a leverage penalty was incorrect[/caption]
In the second quarter of the Steelers’ eventual victory over the New York Jets, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick leaped over the offensive line to block an extra point.
The Steelers had a chance to return this ball for two points, but flags quickly flew and he was called for a leverage penalty.
Pittsburgh special teams coordinator Danny Smith was seen infuriated on the sideline after the call, screaming at the referees for the decision.
Even the Sunday Night Football broadcast was in agreement with Smith, as they believed Fitzpatrick never gained any leverage in his leap.
Tomlin also voiced his frustrations with the officials, but there was nothing to be done at that point in the game.
However, the Steelers’ frustrations were later confirmed by the NFL.
Tomlin shared in a press conference on Tuesday that the league told him the referees got the call wrong.
“I did talk to New York and they did tell me Minkah’s block was legal, which I knew in-stadium,” Tomlin said.
“But that’s life. None of us are perfect, man. There’s going to be mistakes made in-game.
“There are strategic mistakes made by guys like me. There’s playing mistakes made by players. And there’s officiating mistakes.
“The bottom line is, if you’re capable and you’re on your job for 60 minutes, mistakes by others often doesn’t define the outcome of games.”
The missed call allowed the Jets to go for a two-point conversion, effectively creating a two-point swing in the game.
It didn’t matter in the end, as the Steelers thrashed the Jets 37-15, but it was significant in the moment.
“It’s a shame, because that was a significant play by Mink and it did create a two-point scenario for them that kind of could’ve changed the texture of how that game was unfolding,” Tomlin said.
“But that’s life, man. You’ve got to smile in the face of it and I expect our group to do so.”
NFL important dates
August 1 – Hall of Fame Game – Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears
August 8 – Pre-season begins
August 27 – Deadline for 53-man rosters
September 1 – Final day of pre-season
September 5 – Season opener – Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs
November 5 – Trade deadline
January 5 – Week 18 of regular-season
January 11 – Playoffs begin
February 9 – Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana
The Steelers didn’t let the overturned block get to them, as they blocked another kick later in the game in the form of a Greg Zuerlein field goal.
Everything was clicking for the Steelers on Sunday night, especially new starting quarterback Russell Wilson.
In his Steelers debut, Wilson passed for 264 yards with three total touchdowns, proving a lot of doubters wrong in the process.
George Pickens collected 111 of those yards and one touchdown as Wilson’s top receiver of the day.
The running game also worked well, with Najee Harris stomping for 102 yards and a touchdown.
The missed penalty didn’t change the outcome of the game[/caption]
