There aren’t any excuses for why the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Indianapolis Colts. They kept shooting themselves in the foot, making mistakes throughout the game. The Colts were just the better team. However, there were some questionable calls from the officials that did not help. Both sides were hurt by the referees, but former Steelers pass rusher James Harrison believes the referees were on the Colts’ side.
“Final score @NFLOfficiating @Colts win the game 24-27,” Harrison wrote on Twitter after the game ended.
There were several calls that would make fans believe the officials were favoring the Colts. The fumble by Justin Fields was particularly bad. It wasn’t a good play by any means, and Fields fumbling isn’t a shocking end, but it looked like he was touched down before the ball came out. The officials reviewed it and upheld their decision though.
However, it seems like the personal foul called on Minkah Fitzpatrick really irritated Harrison. The play came at the end of the third quarter with Joe Flacco overthrowing wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Fitzpatrick was running to break the pass up as if it was on target, and he hit Mitchell. He didn’t lead with his helmet or try to hurt Mitchell. It even looked like he pulled up and made an effort to try not to hit him.
The officials didn’t seem to care though. They called it unnecessary roughness and gave the Colts 15 free yards. Harrison took to Twitter to express his displeasure.
“That call on Fitzpatrick is going to change the whole outcome of this game!” he tweeted.
Harrison wasn’t wrong. That drive ended in a touchdown for the Colts, making the score 24-10. It wasn’t the final nail in the Steelers’ coffin, but it did have an impact. That play did come on second down, so maybe the Colts would’ve just converted anyway, but we’ll never know.
Fitzpatrick was very upset with the call too. Harrison made a career off of being one of the hardest-hitting players in the league, so it makes sense that he would come to Fitzpatrick’s defense. If what Fitzpatrick did deserved a flag, then Harrison would’ve been put in jail. The same thing could be said about a number of his teammates too.
That’s not saying players should be hit that hard anymore either. Science and medicine have come a long way, and it’s better for the health of the players to err on the side of caution. However, football is still a physical game, and what Fitzpatrick did shouldn’t be classified as too hard of a hit. That kind of collision happens often over the course of a game.
The officials had the final word, though, and nothing can be changed about it now. It happened, the Steelers lost, and all they can do now is learn from it and be better next week. That play wasn’t the only reason why they lost in Indianapolis. They hurt themselves more than the officials hurt them in this game.
