Steelers Rumors: Nightmare flight, Matt Canada saves job, Minkah responds

Steelers Rumors: Minkah Fitzpatrick responds to terrible roughing the passer call

Minkah Fitzpatrick was called for a brutal roughing the passer call in the fourth quarter of Pittsburgh's eventual win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Fitzpatrick hit Jimmy Garoppolo high, but mostly because Jimmy G ducked his head into Minkah's should/chest area. There was little the Steelers safety could do to avoid such a hit, as he would not have made contact with Garoppolo's helmet had he not ducked in the first place.

Yet, such is the way games are called in the modern NFL. Defensive players get very little leeway, and as disgusted as Fitzpatrick was in the moment, he didn't have much time to reflect because the Raiders were driving. Vegas would eventually score, but the Steelers emerged victorious.

Fitzpatrick did not criticize the officials much postgame, though he certainly had the right to do so. However, the league likely would have fined him if he said much to the contrary of his actual statement.

The NFL is not a defensively-oriented league, at least not anymore. The more points, the better, and that puts players like Fitzpatrick in an awkward position.