Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick offered a blunt repudiation of the officiating crew in Sunday’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts after he was assessed a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty in the third quarter.
The penalty was issued for a perceived late hit on Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, with Fitzpatrick believing the collision was a legal consequence of his momentum while decrying the current state of officiating.
“I thought we were playing football, I don’t know what we’re playing at this point,” Fitzpatrick said. “[It’s a] very different game than what I grew up playing and what I grew up loving. Can’t hit nobody hard, can’t be violent, so I don’t know what to say anymore.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick was penalized for unnecessary roughness on this play… does the NFL expect these guys to play in slow-motion?
— Kicks (@kicks) September 29, 2024
Fitzpatrick was at the center of another pair of controversial hits on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson before halftime as well, first connecting with the second-year quarterback’s oblique area during a powerful open-field collision. Richardson was sidelined for two plays before immediately attempting a zone read, crumbling into an awkward slide that led Fitzpatrick, while seemingly trying to check his tackle, to make contact with Richardson’s head — the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023 would not return to Sunday’s game.
It’s not the first time Fitzpatrick has publically criticized NFL officials after receiving a controversial penalty, taking his grievances regarding a December 2021 personal foul to Twitter. Fitzpatrick appeared to deliver a well-timed hit on Minnesota receiver K.J. Osborne to prevent a touchdown grab, but a flag for unnecessary roughness immediately flew from behind the endzone, giving the Vikings a fresh set of downs.
“Very poor officiating,” Fitzpatrick wrote on the social media platform. “Calls like this can change the outcomes of games. Football is a violent sport. People will get hit hard legally. Receivers running across the middle know what they signed up for. It’s a part of the game.”
Sure enough, Fitzpatrick’s penalty would have a massive impact on Sunday’s game, as an incompletion would have set up a 3rd and 10 try for the Indianapolis offense leading 17-10. Instead, the Colts were handed a first down in Steelers territory, which backup quarterback Joe Flacco turned into six points just six plays later to give Indianapolis a two-touchdown advantage seconds into the fourth quarter.
The Steelers would mount a valiant comeback but fall just short, as Justin Fields failed to convert a 4th and 11 to seal a 27-24 defeat. Pittsburgh will look to shake off its first loss of the season next week against Dallas, with kickoff from Acrisure Stadium set for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
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