-
Follow Us
On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
The Pittsburgh Steelers were rallying from behind against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 on Sunday afternoon in another tight contest as has been the script in 2023 for this team. After spotting the Browns a 10-0 lead at the end of the first half, Pittsburgh responded with their longest touchdown of the year on a Jaylen Warren 74-yard run, followed by a field goal by Chris Boswell. The Browns got the ball with 1:18 left to go in the game after a quick three-and-out by Pittsburgh's offense and started rolling down the field when they got some extra help from the officials. Rookie defensive tackle Keeanu Benton was charged with a delay of game penalty with :20 seconds left.
Benton has gotten a lot of praise this season for his ability to step in for some injured veterans, like Cam Heyward and Montravius Adams, and not miss a beat. The Wisconsin product had a slightly lower workload than in his past two games against the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers, but has gained the trust of Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin to be out on the field when Pittsburgh needed a key stop.
Some penalties for first-year players like Joey Porter Jr. drawing flags for his aggressiveness with receivers or Broderick Jones getting the occasional illegal man downfield call are understandable, given the circumstances. The penalty call on Benton was just plain bizarre.
Per Chris Adamski of TribLive.com, Benton was confused by the call and said he'd be taking a deeper dive into the rulebook to see why he was called for it. He told Adamski that the officials explained to him that he was 'simulating a snap.'
This was the "delay of game" on the Steelers, instead of a false start on the Browns. Made the FG a 34-yd attempt instead of 44-yd attempt. pic.twitter.com/JqL5greMk0
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) November 19, 2023
In the video above, TJ Watt, Damontae Kazee, and Larry Ogunjobi all point out movement on the Cleveland offensive line before the snap, which usually draws a flag. In this case, however, the officials saw it another way and handed Benton a flag for delay of game. The NFL rulebook says that a delay of game penalty can be assessed for a multitude of reasons, including not snapping the ball in time, snapping the ball before the officials are in the proper position, excessive delay after a timeout, a runner remaining on the ball to kill time after a play, defensive abrupt non-football moves, spiking or throwing the ball out of play, or taking the ball from a downed runner causing a delay.
The Indianapolis Colts were dinged with a costly flag for such an infraction in Week 15 in 2022 when defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo clearly interfered with Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson when he was trying to get up so the ball could be spotted in overtime. This makes total sense for a defensive delay of game penalty. The play by Benton was much more confusing.
Steelers Don't Get Any Officiating Luck In Loss To The Browns
The referees are there to call the game as they see it so. It is understandable if there is some imbalance in how many flags go against each team in any given contest. That being said, on Sunday, Pittsburgh had the lion's share of calls go against them.
At the end of Sunday's game, the penalty ledger read Pittsburgh: six penalties for 46 yards, and Cleveland: one penalty for 10 yards. With only seven penalties called in the game, it seemed like the officials were trying to do their best to stay out of the way, but the confusing call on Benton with the game on the line begs to differ. The Browns' lone flag in the contest came in the fourth quarter with just over seven and a half minutes left when offensive tackle James Hudson drew a hand to the face flag.
This is not to make an excuse for why Pittsburgh lost. The total lack of offense while holding the opposition to just 10 points has way more to do with it.
More must-reads:
- Longtime Steelers DT Cameron Heyward hints contract extension is coming
- Cowboys release veteran WR
- The 'NFL MVP runners-up' quiz
Breaking News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
