Were the Steelers cheated out of a crucial TD by NFL refs vs. Packers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers arrived at Lambeau Field 1-2, at the bottom of the AFC North looking to make up some ground. In a hostile environment in front of the Packers faithful, the Steelers got on the board first, with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throwing a 45 yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson. But the Steelers' lead would quickly disappear. And, just as the Steelers were trying to catch up, the referees' questionable call toward the end of the first half may have cost them a touchdown.
Did the refs cost the Steelers a touchdown?
Shortly before halftime in Sunday's matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, Packers kicker Mason Crosby lined up to kick a field goal.
Joe Haden's offside on a blocked field goal by Minkah Fitzpatrick, negating a 75-yard return that would've been a touchdown.
The Steelers blocked the field goal and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick picked up and returned the ball 75 yards to what appeared to be a touchdown. But the referees threw a flag at the line of scrimmage and called offsides on Joe Haden and Fitzpatrick, negating the touchdown and giving the Packers an even closer field position. But, as seen in the clip below, it was not a clear offside call, leaving many to question the referee's judgment.
Certain infractions are easier to see from the field-level, but from the angles that I've seen of the field goal in #PITvsGB:
Unless the @Steelers were lined up in the neutral zone, the players move simultaneously with the snap which would mean no foul. https://t.co/EBOvmtiPuB
Crosby would then go on to make the field goal, putting three more points on the board for the Packers, giving them a 17-10 lead as time ran out in the first half.
Former NFL referee Gene Steratore even stated that he didn't believe that was an offside call and said that he saw it from different angles and still didn't see it. What the referees calling the game at Lambeau Field saw is unclear. But it was definitely seen as the turning point not only in the first half but the entire game.
The Steelers were unable to get the win, losing 24-17 to the Packers. Which has led fans to wonder what would have happened if the flag for what the referees believed was offside hadn't been thrown. Well, for starters, the Packers would have had three fewer points and the Steelers would have had seven more, making it a 24-21 score. Sure, the Packers wouldn't have run the clock down at the end of the fourth quarter, but it definitely would have put the Steelers in a different position.
The Steelers now fall to 1-3 through the first four weeks, still at the bottom of the AFC North. The Packers have now won three straight and are 3-1.