Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens helmet off postgame of an NFL football game against … [+]
Penalties had not been a problem for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season until last Sunday.
The Steelers were flagged a season-high eight times but overcame the penalties to rally for a 24-17 road victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The Steelers were penalized for a total of 76 yards yet improved to 4-2.
Cutting down on penalties has not been a big focus, though, this week as the Steelers prepare to host the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) on Sunday at Heinz Field.
Outside linebacker T.J. Watt was called for lining up in the neutral zone. Wide receivers George Pickens and Diontae Johnson each received unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the fourth quarter when the Steelers rallied for the victory.
Referee Craig Wrolstad’s crew officiated the game in Los Angeles. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did not find fault with the crew but did say that the Steelers need to get a better handle on how each official calls a game.
“It’s our job to feel the tenor of a crew and adjust our behavior accordingly,” Tomlin said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “And we got into that game and that crew had a certain tenor and we didn’t adjust to it. And as professionals, that’s our job. So, am I worried about those issues being an issue moving forward? No, I’m not.
“But it is a great opportunity to talk about learning the tenor of a crew. Sometimes, certain crews are more tolerant regarding certain things than others. And that’s just the realities of the National Football League. T.J., for example, got a penalty for lining up in a neutral zone in a significant time and the second half of that game on a third-down possession, possession down that we won. A lot of crews will warn you when someone’s lined up in the neutral zone or cutting it close from that perspective. Some don’t. It’s our job to get a sense of how the game was being played that day.”
The Steelers previous high for penalties this season was six, both in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 and a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. Pittsburgh’s 60 penalty yards against the 49ers were their previous high.
The Steelers are averaging just 5.0 penalties a game, which is the third-lowest total among the 30 NFL teams. Pittsburgh’s 43.3 penalty yards per game is the sixth-lowest figure.
Pickens is the Steelers’ most-penalized player. He has been called for five infractions with one of the penalties being declined by the opposition.
The Steelers were able to overcome the two fourth-quarter penalties by their wide receivers last week when quarterback Kenny Pickett engineered two touchdown drives that wiped out a 17-10 deficit. Pickett completed his last nine passes while finishing his fifth career fourth-quarter comeback in just 18 starts over two seasons.
Tomlin is not surprised at Pickett’s knack for comeback wins after seeing the quarterback play collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh. The Steelers and Pitt share a training facility.
The Steelers selected Pickett in the first round of last year’s NFL Draft.
“His ability to rise up in moments, we valued that in the draft process,” Tomlin said. “That was one of the things that made him attractive to us. I’ve watched him do it when he was a Pitt Panther. And, so, I don’t know that any of us are surprised by his ability to make the plays that he makes when it really gets thick. I just think some people are built like that. Some people relish the opportunity. Some people really smile in the face of adversity. Some people are competition junkies and I think he’s all of those things.”
