Ball don’t lie: 3 worst calls from Week 11 of the 2021 NFL season

Steelers: Najee Harris took obvious helmet-to-helmet hit

The Steelers fourth-quarter comeback in Los Angeles ultimately fell a little short, but nonetheless, Najee Harris is lucky to be alive after taking such a vicious hit courtesy of the Chargers’ Kyzir White.

White decked Harris on the side of the helmet when he went airborne on what appeared to be a completely unnecessary tackle, as Harris was already lopsided and about to fall on the turf.

Yet, the play went completely uncalled for reasons never explained. The Steelers should’ve been gifted 15 free yards.

What is targeting in the NFL?

If a player lowers his helmet to initiate contact with another player, it is targeting. Unlike in college, when such a player would end in an automatic ejection, that decision is left up to the referees, who can either let the player stay in the game with a warning or throw him out of the game.

In this case, no penalty was called, and thus no decision had to be made.