Flurry of flags killing Steelers
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH
Antonio Brown was giddy. Le’Veon Bell was fired up. Cam Heyward was offering a pointed critique.
Different emotions, same result: the kind of after-the-whistle penalties that have plagued the Pittsburgh Steelers during an uneven 2-2 start.
The Steelers were flagged 13 times for 125 yards in Sunday’s confounding 27-24 loss to previously winless Tampa Bay. And while coach Mike Tomlin can live with the miscues that pop up during play, it’s the ones like the three personal fouls drawn by three of his team’s stars that are maddening.
“Post-play penalties are ridiculous,” Tomlin said. “That we have full control.”
At the moment, Pittsburgh is out of control.
The Steelers are drawing 11 flags a game, ranking second to San Francisco for the most in the league. They Steelers drew six 15-yard fouls against the Buccaneers, some of them the kind of immature mistakes that are easily avoidable.
Brown drew a celebration penalty when he used the ball as a prop and went to the ground following his 11-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter that tied the game at 10. It was a little more elaborate than his usual scoring rituals and Brown said he didn’t know he was breaking the rules.
The Pro Bowler isn’t blaming the NFL for taking a hard stance, saying he simply has to cut down on the histrionics.
“Obviously there’s excitement,” he said. “You want to have some fun but you’ve got to be smart.”
Brown’s score came at the end of a drive in which Bell was flagged for taunting a pair of Buccaneers after a 16-yard run. Bell contends he was doing the kind of trash talking that is commonplace between the lines.
“It happens every game,” he said.
Maybe, but the dynamic second-year back understands there’s no real reason to put yourself in a vulnerable position.
“If I’m not disciplined it’s on me,” he said. “Everybody else should take the same approach.”
Heyward’s penalty may have been the most forgivable. He gave an official an earful following a 3-yard touchdown run by Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin that made it 17-17 early in the third quarter. Steelers linebacker Sean Spence appeared to be held during the play, and as the sellout crowd at Heinz Field roared its disapproval Heyward advocated for his teammate.
The fourth-year defensive end copped to cursing at the official and crossing the line.
“There are going to be bad calls, there are times we’re going to be upset,” Heyward said. “It’s just part of the game. If it was perfect, we wouldn’t need refs. I went too far. I messed up.”
A sentiment echoed throughout the locker room as the Pittsburgh attempted to regroup following another baffling early season loss to a seemingly overmatched team.