After being one of the least penalized teams in the NFL entering the Week Seven matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly cost themselves with some untimely, silly penalties, specifically unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
Throughout Sunday’s matchup, the Steelers struggled to get a grasp of what the officials under crew chief Craig Wrolstad was going to call. That led to some of the mental mistakes late in the game, like wide receiver George Pickens getting called for taunting after a big catch for a first down, and then wide receiver Diontae Johnson getting called for taunting after a a defensive pass interference call on Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, offsetting what should have been the game-deciding call.
For head coach Mike Tomlin, speaking to reporters Tuesday during his weekly press conference, the Steelers didn’t have a feel for the officiating crew and never adjusted, which was a mistake on Pittsburgh’s part, giving them a lesson to learn in a big spot.
“Oftentimes, it’s our job to feel the tenor of a crew and adjust our behavior accordingly. We got into that game, and that crew had a certain tenor, and we didn’t adjust to it. As professionals, that’s our job,” Tomlin stated to reporters, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “So, am I worried about those issues moving forward? No, I am not. But it is a great opportunity to talk about learning the tenor of a crew.
“Sometimes, certain crews are more tolerant regarding certain things than others. That’s just the realities of the National Football League. …The worst thing we did in that game is we didn’t have a sense of the tenor and we didn’t adjust. I didn’t do a good enough job as leader making sure we adjusted.”
Following the comeback win over the Rams Sunday, Tomlin wasn’t interested much in discussing the penalties on Johnson and Pickens — which included an illegal blindside block penalty that wiped out a third-down conversion, stating that the tape is in the can after the game and that the Steelers have to move on and learn from it.
It wasn’t just the penalties from Johnson and Pickens, either. During his weekly press conference, Tomlin cited the penalty on T.J. Watt in the third quarter on a third down. Watt was called for lining up in the neutral zone, wiping out a win for the Steelers as they were set to get off the field.
Instead, it gave the Rams another chance and they converted as Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford hit wide receiver Puka Nacua for a big 32-yard gain that held up after a challenge from Tomlin. Eventually, the Rams scored on the drive as running back Darrell Henderson scored on the ground from one yard out.
Fortunately, the penalties didn’t cost the Steelers in the end where it mattered most: on the scoreboard and in the win column. But it does offer than a chance to learn from those mistakes and clean things up moving forward, including learning to adjust to specific crews based on what they’re tolerating, what they’re going to call, and how they’re going to officiate a game based on early signs.
