In Week 8, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t bounce back from their previous loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. They dropped another game, this time to the Green Bay Packers. It wasn’t particularly close, either. For as poorly as the Steelers played, the officiating might’ve been just as bad. One of the biggest examples was a missed offsides by the Packers in the third quarter. While that no-call was part of the beginning of the end for the Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t think that’s to blame for their loss.
“I know Aaron [Rodgers is] mad, the team’s mad, and people are like, ‘It’s unfair. It’s cheating,'” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his Footbahlin’ podcast. “You know what? Broderick Jones false-started on a play as well. He was clearly moving, not even just flinching. He was hand up, out of his stance, before the ball was snapped. No call. Things like that happen in both directions.
“I don’t wanna hear people complaining about that play when things happen our direction as well. As much as I want the Steelers to win, I’m not gonna sit here and complain about those kind of plays when it happens both directions… It was a big play. Was it the biggest play of the game? No, I don’t think so.”
Roethlisberger is correct that the referees missed plenty of calls in that game, including some that helped the Steelers. The missed false start on Jones was particularly egregious. That play came with a little over two minutes remaining in the second quarter. Kenneth Gainwell picked up 14 yards, advancing the Steelers into Green Bay territory.
However, Jones clearly moved early. It’s surprising that the officials missed that call. On that drive, the Steelers went down and scored a touchdown, increasing their lead to 11 points.
Therefore, it’s hard to say that the referees only made calls that favored the Packers. The missed offsides came later in the game, in the third quarter. It was a 3rd-and-8, and Rodgers drew the Packers offside. As a result, he thought the Steelers had a free play. He launched a ball to Roman Wilson, but the pass was incomplete.
That led to the Steelers punting, and the Packers came to life after that. They went down and scored a touchdown, capturing the momentum.
Those weren’t the only questionable officiating moments, either. The referees also struggled to control the game, with players brawling frequently. Players should control their emotions, but it’s also the officials’ job not to let the game get out of hand.
Roethlisberger is correct that the referees weren’t the reason why the Steelers lost. They made plenty of mistakes on their own, including not stopping the Packers’ offense. If the Steelers didn’t want the officials to impact the game too much, they should have played better.
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