There was as little offense in the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos as there probably could be in 2024. Part of that was because of all the penalties that were called on both teams. The Steelers couldn’t get out of their own way, but they did receive some calls in their favor as well. One of the biggest came on a defensive pass-interference call on Broncos corner Patrick Surtain II.
In a video from DNVR Sports, Surtain spoke to the media after the Steelers’ 13-6 win about his frustrations with some of the penalties that went against the Broncos.
“Penalties, some of them was kind of BS, but some of them was, I guess good calls,” Surtain said. “At the end of the day, you just gotta focus on what you can control and move going forward from there.”
Surtain was penalized multiple times against the Steelers, but the call that probably stung most was a 37-yard defensive pass-interference call that came in the middle of the third quarter. The play helped the Steelers get into field-goal range, helping them make the game 13-0. It was a crucial play that definitely impacted the final result.
However, it wasn’t a bad call. Surtain had his arms wrapped around George Pickens, restricting him from being able to extend and catch the ball. The Steelers were also apparently aware that this referee crew called the most defensive pass-interference penalties last year, which influenced their game plan. It’s unclear if the Broncos also knew this, but they didn’t play like they did.
According to the Broncos’ team-issued transcript, Surtain continued to show how frustrated he was with their performance in Week 2.
“Obviously with our defense, we had to play hard and play physical. Our main goal is to try out-physical them and I think we were very physical on defense,” he said. “I think we still let them off the hook, in some plays, including myself. I know I have to get better in certain ways as well, too. But, you know, that’s the hard part of the league. I mean, you win some, you lose some. So, we look forward to next week.”
The Broncos did do a good job containing the Steelers offense, especially in the second half. The Steelers actually looked like they were going to have a nice day on offense, but the Broncos tightened up in the second half. That, along with the penalties, kept the Steelers from pulling away.
Ultimately, it was the Broncos’ own struggles with penalties that would help do them in. When the Steelers’ offense was sputtering, the Broncos would occasionally make a mistake that kept a drive alive. That street went both ways though.
Surtain wasn’t the only Broncos player flagged for a huge pass interference. Riley Moss also got called for the penalty near the end of the first half. The play gave the Steelers 27 free yards and helped set them up for their first field goal of the game. That’s six points that the Steelers got in part because of major penalties by the Broncos.
There were some calls that were questionable, but that’s also part of football. Some referee crews just aren’t very good, and it’s a tough job to do anyway. It’s not fun, but part of the game sometimes is overcoming penalties. The Steelers got penalized just as much as the Broncos in Week 2, and they battled back.
