With 1:45 left in the first half of Sunday’s Steelers-Browns game, Pittsburgh decided to get adventurous with their special teams on fourth-and-9. The decision was to have kicker Chris Boswell try a pass on a fake field goal from the Cleveland 10-yard line, and it did not go well. The pass was incomplete, and Boswell was injured on the tackle.
#Steelers with a failed FG-fake attempt and their kicker Boswell may have gotten hurt on top of it.
If you're going for it on 4th down, why a fake FG with your Kicker passing? just go for it with the offense.pic.twitter.com/0vZamO2wTN
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 31, 2021
As it turned out, referee Shawn Hochuli and his crew missed a rather obvious penalty that would have given the Steelers the ball with first-and-goal at the Cleveland one-yard line.
Even though Chris Boswell is a kicker by position, on this fake field goal attempt, he is a passer. A defender cannot hit the passer forcibly in the head or neck area. IMO this should have been a 15 yard penalty for roughing in #PITvsCLE. pic.twitter.com/EXnOfledfv
— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) October 31, 2021
Roughing calls have been highly inconsistent this season, and this was yet another example. The Steelers’ play call was not the greatest, but we’re either protecting players according to the rules, or we are not.
