Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers ‘upset’ about Patriots’ defensive formations
Whether New England fans like it or not, issues like the mixed radio signals during Thursday’s season opener are likely to surface every week after an offseason spent discussing deflate-gate. And while Pittsburgh lost, 28-21, they now lead the league with two complaints against the Patriots in a single night.
In addition to coach Mike Tomlin’s remarks about New England’s radio broadcast bleeing into his headset — a communications issue the NFL is responsible for — the Steelers took umbrage with a defensive maneuver made by the Patriots that cost Pittsburgh dearly early in the fourth quarter of a close game.
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Trailing 21-11 early in the final frame, the Steelers faced a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line after a New England pass interference penalty. Failed pass and rush attempts left them in the same situation on third down. When the Patriots’ defensive line shifted prior to the snap, multiple Pittsburgh linemen jumped the gun and were whistled for a false start. Another rushing attempt, now from the 6-yard line, failed on third down, and the Steelers were forced to kick a field goal — one of several times they left points on the field.
In the immediate aftermath of the false start penalty, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be seen vehemently arguing the call with officials. Here’s what he told reporters in the game’s aftermath.
“In my years of playing, a defensive guy can’t bark stuff or move in the middle of a cadence. The ref said, ‘We didn’t go in the neutral zone,’ and I agree with him. I wasn’t arguing that part. I was arguing the fact that he shifted in the middle of a cadence, and I thought that there was a rule against it. Maybe there’s not — maybe it’s an unwritten rule — I don’t really know.
“So, that’s what I was more upset about. They do that. We saw it on film that the Patriots do that. They shift and slide and do stuff on the goal line, knowing that it’s an itchy trigger-finger-type down.”
As it turns out, there’s no rule against disrupting a team’s cadence with a defensive line shift, so long as it doesn’t involve “words or signals.” To recap, the Steelers knew the Patriots used this tactic from watching film, committed a false start penalty on the sequence anyhow, and then complained about it afterwards.
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To his credit, Pittsburgh left guard Ramon Foster, one of the linemen who moved prior to the snap, told USA Today, “That’s on us,” although he also took the opportunity to throw some shade at the Patriots.
“They time it up in the cadence,” Foster told USA TODAY Sports, smiling and shaking his head. “Yeah, that’s one of the things they do. Welcome to Foxborough.”
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“I think it’s more heightened because it’s (the Patriots) and it looks like — whatever the case may be,” Foster said. “They’re a team that likes to take advantage of those type of situations, and we can’t give that to them.”
Pittsburgh’s sour grapes are awful similar to the Baltimore Ravens’ complaints about New England’s ineligible receiver formations during the playoffs this past January — a legal play at the time that the NFL later disallowed during the offseason. As was the case then, it’s probably best for folks not to cry foul on plays that are allowable under NFL rules, if only because it makes the other team seem better prepared.
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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
