Ball don’t lie: 3 worst calls from Week 4 of the 2021 NFL season
By Mark Powell
Steelers: Joe Haden called for awful offsides
The Steelers blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown at the end of the first half against the Green Bay Packers. It was a tremendous play by Minkah Fitzpatrick, and one that would’ve helped cover for the truly putrid play from Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense.
Instead, the officials interfered.
The Steelers were called offsides here, which erased a blocked FG return for a TD to make it 17-14 Steelers and allowed Mason Crosby to re-kick and make it 17-10 Packers pic.twitter.com/hfwZvsA7Sb
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) October 3, 2021
Mason Crosby would get another chance to kick the field goal and would, unsurprisingly, make it.
To call offsides in such a position, it better be clear as day. While Haden and Fitzpatrick did guess the snap count correctly, it’s tough to prove that they actually crossed the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped.
Haden, for one, wasn’t thrilled with the decision.
I wasn’t offsides.
— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) October 4, 2021
The refs are undefeated, even against Pittsburgh.
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