The Pittsburgh Steelers snapped their losing streak by crushing the Las Vegas Raiders. However, that doesn’t mean they played perfect. They still started slow and got in their own way too many times. Penalties were an issue at times for both teams, but Raiders wide receiver D.J. Turner is more upset about a penalty that wasn’t called on Elandon Roberts.
“You just gotta control what you can control,” Turner said after the game via the team’s YouTube channel. “At the end of the day, if you don’t make questionable plays and leave it up to the ref to affect the game, then you don’t have to deal with it at all. The late hit was a late hit. I don’t agree with it. It was on me, so I felt a little personal about it, but it’s football. You just gotta get up and play the next play.”
The hit in question came near the end of the third quarter. The Steelers were up 22-7, but the Raiders were starting to put a drive together. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell found Turner for a big completion, and Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. were having a tough time getting him to the ground. Then Roberts flew in and flattened Turner.
It’s fair to say that the hit was a little late, especially because Turner was the one who had to feel it. He was already basically stopped, and it seemed like he was about to go to the ground. It’s not like Roberts was trying to do anything dirty, though. Like Turner says, it’s football. People get hit on every play.
Player safety is important. Thankfully, Turner was okay. It will be interesting to see if Roberts gets any kind of fine for that play. The NFL has docked players for less. Roberts is a physical player. As seen by his incredible heroics against the Dallas Cowboys, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make a play.
Turner is correct that you can’t get too caught up with the referees, though. They can affect a game, but there were other reasons that the Raiders lost. It’s not the fault of the refs that the Raiders fumbled twice and had a punt blocked. However, he doesn’t seem too angry about the situation. His frustration is valid, and losing never makes things better, but it’s in the past now. We’ll see if the NFL disciplines Roberts.
