Steelers Lead The NFL In Penalties – And It’s Not Close

[Shoes]

Even if you concede the NFL is throwing the yellow flag more often this year, the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting penalized more than anyone else through the first two weeks.
And it’s not even close.
https://steelersdepot.com/2018/09/steelers-lead-the-nfl-in-penalties-and-its-not-close/

[Born2Steel]

Even the refs are waving the Terrible Towel!

[Mojouw]

Needs noted that in each game the Steelers opponent was also called for 11-12 penalties. Might then be a ref issue rather than solely a team thing.

[smokin3000gt]

Needs noted that in each game the Steelers opponent was also called for 11-12 penalties. Might then be a ref issue rather than solely a team thing.

but that doesn't fit the "Tomlin's players are undisciplined" narrative...

[Steeldude]

but that doesn't fit the "Tomlin's players are undisciplined" narrative...

Getting a new punter will fix everything.

[smokin3000gt]

Getting a new punter will fix everything.

Should help with field position anyways..

[fansince'76]

Should help with field position anyways..

Yep. The Chiefs scoring 3 TDs in the first quarter with barely over 100 yards of offense indicates they had some pretty primo field position.

[smokin3000gt]

Yep. The Chiefs scoring 3 TDs in the first quarter with barely over 100 yards of offense indicates they had some pretty primo field position.

Not only that but when the offense has to start inside the 10 constantly and drive 90+ yards for a TD certainly doesn't make anything easy

[polamalubeast]

9 penalties for 115 yards in the first half yesterday....

[AtlantaDan]

9 penalties for 115 yards in the first half yesterday....

I was thinking the cost/benefit of some of that was paying off since Fitzgerald was getting clobbered on the roughing penalties then throwing chuck and duck interceptions

Of course that theory was toast after Fitz torched the secondary in the second half while the Steelers found new ways to get penalized, such as the DHB unsportsmanlike conduct flag after he was flagged for lining up improperly on the punt

This is just a poorly coached team

[86WARD]

No discipline. It’s dumb penalties too...Davis shoving Evans out of Bounds. Boston landing on Fitzmagic after he slides. DHBs double dip of penalties. It’s just nonsense. Stupid.

Danny Smiths Special Teams is just awful...

[polamalubeast]

I was thinking the cost/benefit of some of that was paying off since Fitzgerald was getting clobbered on the roughing penalties then throwing chuck and duck interceptions

Of course that theory was toast after Fitz torched the secondary in the second half while the Steelers found new ways to get penalized, such as the DHB unsportsmanlike conduct flag after he was flagged for lining up improperly on the punt

This is just a poorly coached team

I thought at one point maybe the steelers would beat a NFL record by the Ravens under Brian Billick for the number of penalties in a game with 21 or 22

But they have a chance to beat the record of the number of penalties in a season made by the 2011 raiders under Hue Jackson with 165 I think

[Moose]

I'm thinking because of the way our Defense is soooooo terrible and giving up a million yards a game.....the BEST way to win is to scare the opposing QB every play ! Just have the defense bust the opposing QB's ass every play.....get the 'roughing' penalty....then after awhile the QB will be so sore , paranoid (or injured) that we'll be able to hold them and get our offense on the field.

[polamalubeast]

1044624230925709314

[Born2Steel]

Penalties and turnovers lose more games than anything else.

[AtlantaDan]

At least Tomlin does not regard the penalties to be elevator music

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1044618624965771264
Presumably including the Bucs being pinned at their one but ending up at their 20 because of the DHB penalties on the punt

And Tomlin concedes something beyond how the penalties impact field position - it makes watching the game more difficult to enjoy - NFL has to worry about that with its protect the QB jihad
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[Mojouw]

The penalties are bad and many were bone-headed decisions by players. A continuing problem. But by my rough count the Steelers have only been called for 5 more penalties than their opponents.

Last night they had 3 roughing the passer calls or calls related to hitting the QB. So most of those are kinda BS right off the bat. Now there are 10 other penalties. One was a late hit call on Davis against Evans that I think started in bounds and was a bad call. So there is 9 remaining penalties and 3 of those were on AV struggling to hold off JPP (2 holds and a false start). 2 other calls were unnecessary roughness during a PAT.

That leaves about 5-6 penalties that were just bad plays by guys. Watt held Howard on one and Berhe facemasked a dude on another one. The only truly outrageous one was the 12 men on the field - that has to stop. Period. And DHB's meltdown.

I mean 13 penalties is a lot. But when maybe 4-6 are BS unnecessary roughness/roughing penalties and several others are due to your LT struggling against a good pass rusher -- how upset does anyone really want to get?

[polamalubeast]

1044427577111105537

[smokin3000gt]

https://i.chzbgr.com/full/5436417792/hE1C222D2/

[fansince'76]

The penalties are bad and many were bone-headed decisions by players. A continuing problem. But by my rough count the Steelers have only been called for 5 more penalties than their opponents.

Last night they had 3 roughing the passer calls or calls related to hitting the QB. So most of those are kinda BS right off the bat. Now there are 10 other penalties. One was a late hit call on Davis against Evans that I think started in bounds and was a bad call. So there is 9 remaining penalties and 3 of those were on AV struggling to hold off JPP (2 holds and a false start). 2 other calls were unnecessary roughness during a PAT.

That leaves about 5-6 penalties that were just bad plays by guys. Watt held Howard on one and Berhe facemasked a dude on another one. The only truly outrageous one was the 12 men on the field - that has to stop. Period. And DHB's meltdown.

I mean 13 penalties is a lot. But when maybe 4-6 are BS unnecessary roughness/roughing penalties and several others are due to your LT struggling against a good pass rusher -- how upset does anyone really want to get?

https://i.imgur.com/R5p9G94.gif?noredirect

:chuckle:

[polamalubeast]

1044436096724213760

[Mojouw]

Ok. I'll try this one more time.

Week 1: Shawn Smith Crew
Pitt: 12 penalties
Cleveland: 11 penalties

Week 2: Jerome Boger Crew
Pitt:12 penalties
KC: 12 penalties

Week 3: Pete Morelli Crew
Pitt:13 penalties
Bucs: 9 penalties

Now let's look at Crews:

Smith: 23 penalties called in Week 1 (Steelers/Browns), didn't work Week 2, and 12 penalties called in Week 3 w/ Titans and Jags

Boger: 12 penalties in Week 1 (Titans/Dolphins), Week 2 24 penalties Steelers/Chiefs, and 11 penalties in Jets/Browns

Morelli: 15 in Week 1 (Indy/Bengals), Week 2 called 19 penalties in Texans/Titans, and 22 last night in Steelers/Bucs.

So there are 2 games where the Steelers were called equal to the other team. I wonder if that is indicative of a sloppy early season game and a rookie ref crew (http://www.footballzebras.com/2018/07/officiating-crews-for-the-2018-season/) that hasn't worked together much in Week 1 and defenses getting desperate on both sides in Week 2?

Morelli just calls a ton of penalties. So...maybe this whole thing is just fun with #'s?

[SteelMember]

Ok. I'll try this one more time.

Week 1: Shawn Smith Crew
Pitt: 12 penalties
Cleveland: 11 penalties

Week 2: Jerome Boger Crew
Pitt:12 penalties
KC: 12 penalties

Week 3: Pete Morelli Crew
Pitt:13 penalties
Bucs: 9 penalties

Now let's look at Crews:

Smith: 23 penalties called in Week 1 (Steelers/Browns), didn't work Week 2, and 12 penalties called in Week 3 w/ Titans and Jags

Boger: 12 penalties in Week 1 (Titans/Dolphins), Week 2 24 penalties Steelers/Chiefs, and 11 penalties in Jets/Browns

Morelli: 15 in Week 1 (Indy/Bengals), Week 2 called 19 penalties in Texans/Titans, and 22 last night in Steelers/Bucs.

So there are 2 games where the Steelers were called equal to the other team. I wonder if that is indicative of a sloppy early season game and a rookie ref crew (http://www.footballzebras.com/2018/07/officiating-crews-for-the-2018-season/) that hasn't worked together much in Week 1 and defenses getting desperate on both sides in Week 2?

Morelli just calls a ton of penalties. So...maybe this whole thing is just fun with #'s?

Either way, not a good list to be on... let alone challenging historical numbers. I do agree we probably need a little larger sample size before we can accept a trophy. There's too many flags in general.