Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Did refs cost Steelers the win in Week 8?

By Aaron Becker | Last updated 10/30/23

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 was not pretty for several reasons, and one of them was the officiating.

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who led Pittsburgh with eight catches for 85 yards, thinks the refs cost the Steelers the game and didn't hold back on talking about.

"I don't care what nobody says. They cost us the game," Johnson told reporters after the game. "They wanted them to win. Everything was in their favor. They were getting every little call, but it is what it is."

Believe it or not, both teams were penalized six times, but those on the Steelers seemed to weigh heavier on the outcome of the game.

One of the biggest plays in question was the hit on QB Kenny Pickett that resulted in him injuring his ribs and not returning. KDKA's Bob Pompeani doesn't understand how roughing the passer wasn't called on Jacksonville.

So you saw the roughing call against the #Steelers, how then is this NOT roughing?

In my view, neither should have been called BUT if you called Neal, you had to call this too pic.twitter.com/9KvUOwDLFr
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) October 29, 2023

Pickett's status is now "up in the air" for Pittsburgh's Week 9 matchup against the Titans on "Thursday Night Football." Head coach Mike Tomlin did say that the QB didn't suffer any "structural damage" but will be a game-time decision.

The other call in question was an offsides call on a crucial field goal. Kicker Chris Boswell made the 55-yard field goal, but it was nullified from the penalty. He missed the following 61-yard attempt.

After further review, photos shared by Boswell proved that the Jaguars were actually the team that was offsides.

The Steelers still lost the game by 10 points, but if they would have had those three extra points, things may have played out differently in the second half.

As difficult of a loss as it was, Pittsburgh must get over it quickly and turn its sights on the 3-4 Tennessee Titans for a quick turnaround on Thursday night.

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