Following each game in the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers season, I will highlight the event, or string of events, in the game that was the turning point. Not all turning points will be earth-shattering but are meant to give a unique look at how we arrived at the outcome of the game, one that may be hard to see during the live watch.
I generally stay away from mentioning the referees’ performance when dissecting a Steelers loss. And the blowout nature of Sunday night’s disaster against the Green Bay Packers makes it difficult to deflect any blame. But there was a very clear turning point, and it was directly related to two blatantly blown calls by the refs.
Pittsburgh had the ball to open the second half with a nine-point lead. A touchdown would have broken the game wide open. Even a field goal and a 12-point lead would have felt pretty safe. The Steelers defense had kept a lid on things during the second quarter and looked ready to protect a two- or three-possession lead with ease.
Sometimes all it takes is one spark to ignite a comeback, and the refs handed the Packers that momentum flip on a green-and-yellow platter.
Aaron Rodgers attempted a deep pass sure that he had a free play after a defender jumped into the neutral zone. Roman Wilson probably should have caught it, but he didn’t. That 3rd and 8 should have turned into a 3rd and 3. Instead, the Steelers were forced to punt after a quick three and out.
The missed call was so blatant that the refs conferred long after the play, and for a brief moment it seemed like they would add a penalty after the fact.
That was a frustrating turn of events, but it wasn’t quite the spark the Packers needed. They would receive that spark three plays later with a blatantly missed offensive pass interference that went for a 59-yard catch by TE Tucker Kraft.
The play went from a near sack, to a ball floating in the air that maybe could have been intercepted, to a 59-yard Kraft catch and run. Perhaps Kraft would have caught it without the push off on DeShon Elliott, but he definitely wouldn’t have rumbled down the field for another 45 yards. No flag, and the play stood.
The Packers got the massive spark they were looking for with a heavy assist by the referees. That spark caught flame with a touchdown a few plays later, and it all went downhill for the Steelers from there.
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