Even from the sidelines, Aaron Rodgers could plainly spot the Pittsburgh Steelers biggest blunder of the game. Apparently, he was the only one who did. Trailing 31-28 and facing 3rd and 4 at its own 28, QB Mason Rudolph appeared to have a game-changing scramble. Taking off through the heart of the Chicago Bears’ defense, Rudolph not only converted but got plenty more to midfield.
It put Pittsburgh yards from Chris Boswell’s range with more than two minutes and all three timeouts to go. A chance to win, not tie.
Until a flag brought it all back. Pittsburgh was called for illegal formation for not covering up right tackle Troy Fautanu. And Rodgers knew it.
Standing next to OL Coach Pat Meyer, the CBS broadcast caught Rodgers’ anxiety after spotting the issue before the same.
“Oh my God, it’s an illegal formation,” Rodgers appeared to say seconds before the snap, putting his hands back on his head in true “Surrender Cobra” fashion.
Mason Rudolph did not notice the same. Rudolph motioned RB Kenneth Gainwell across but he and WR Calvin Austin III remained off-ball and continued to leave Fautanu uncovered. Austin pointed to Rudolph showing the issue but late in the play clock, his concern wasn’t received. An easy call for the officials.
Here’s the sequence.
NFL rules require ineligible players to be covered up. Unless an offensive lineman reports eligible, something the Steelers are used to doing with sixth offensive lineman Spencer Anderson, he must be “covered” by an eligible receiver on the line of scrimmage. Adjacent players also can’t be on the line together without an off-ball eligible separating them. That prevents confusion to the defense of who is eligible and who is not. At times, it’s led to funny moments like this “fake faint” on a trick play punt (the fainting player was ineligible and instructed to fall over as a hopeful distraction).
Nothing about the Steelers’ blunder was a laughing matter. A first down turned into 3rd and 9, an incompletion, and punt. Mike Tomlin defended the decision and ultimately got the ball back. But without timeouts, the Steelers were out of runway and failed to get into Chris Boswell’s range.
While Mason Rudolph is a veteran, few quarterbacks in NFL history are as cerebral as Rodgers. Had he played, Rodgers may have spotted the issue and gotten Pittsburgh aligned properly. Of course, Rodgers wouldn’t have run at Rudolph’s pace (both are pocket passers but Rudolph is more athletic) but the illegal formation doomed the play from the snap.
Receivers check in with officials to make sure they are on the line but refs won’t point out a formation penalty like this, putting the onus on the players to see the problem.
Couple that error with two turnovers, two failed fourth downs, and other issues, and a sloppy Steelers teams did plenty to beat themselves against a more-sound Chicago team.
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