Steelers QB Kenny Pickett injured on textbook roughing the passer… with no penalty

The most interesting thing about the NFL’s rules for roughing the passer (which you can read here) is this proviso at the end:

When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the Referee should always call roughing the passer.

Referee Alan Eck and his crew didn’t get THAT memo before they started calling Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Jacksonville Jaguars game. There were multiple questionable hits on Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett before this hit by Jaguars defensive tackle Adam Gotsis with 17 seconds left in the first half.

Here’s the hit on Kenny Pickett pic.twitter.com/Drut9J4bEU

— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) October 29, 2023

Pickett was injured on the play, and this wasn’t the only time Eck and his guys averted their eyes to what might have been construed as extracurricular activity. Dave Dameshek, our buddy who is an avowed Steelers homer, nonetheless has some salient points below, and from both sides. Steelers linebacker Keanu Neal was flagged for roughing the passer on the first play detailed, and then… crickets.

How in the world could Neal know if Lawrence has the ball?
(That’s a rhetorical q: he couldn’t)
Sheesh, NFL. Embarrassing. pic.twitter.com/GMaxS6ZGlC

— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) October 29, 2023

Now y’see THIS isn’t a penalty.
Why? Well, like everyone else – including Roger Goodell, Mike Pereira & your mother – I have no g-d idea https://t.co/dhZpqwCsTb pic.twitter.com/SY4tNv0oWe

— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) October 29, 2023

I know your seeing eyes are mad, but don’t worry:
Charles Davis says no body weight landed on Pickett.
Didn’t throw him down late, either. https://t.co/AChLnrhpNZ pic.twitter.com/pd7ytJd08k

— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) October 29, 2023

Eck’s crew had called four roughing the passer penalties coming into this game, so your guess is as good as ours regarding what appeared to be missed.

Mike Tomlin is asking the question we’d all like to ask.

Mike Tomlin has the same view of the officials as everybody else, only he actually gets to ask them the question in person:

"What the f**k is wrong with y'all today??"pic.twitter.com/ixdFlJc1vp

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) October 29, 2023