INDIANAPOLIS (93.7 The Fan) – Minkah Fitzpatrick adamant he didn’t commit a penalty. What happened with the snap on the last drive? Injuries and the best quotes from the Steelers 27-24 loss to the Colts Sunday.
Minkah penalty
One of the key plays in the second half, Steelers score to cut the lead to 17-10 and on the next series on a second down incompletion, Minkah Fitzpatrick was called for unnecessary roughness, which gave the Colts first down in Steelers territory.
Fitzpatrick said after the game both were going for the ball and he has every right to go for the ball. He said the referee told him he hit the receiver in the head, which he said he didn’t. Minkah added receiver Adonai Mitchell put his hands down at the last second which made it look worse.
“That was bull----,” said teammate DeShon Elliott. “I don’t care. That was BS. That was not ok because that was legal. He did nothing malicious. He didn’t even hit him in the head. He led with the shoulder. If anything, he let up.”
“I thought we were playing football,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t know what we are playing at this point. A very different game than I grew up playing and grew up loving. Can’t hit nobody hard, can’t be violent. I don’t know what to say anymore.”
“I don’t know how you are supposed to play anymore.”
Wayward snap
It’s been an issue a couple of times this season, trouble with the center/quarterback exchange. This one was critical leading to a 12-yard loss on the final possession and a fourth-and-long incompletion. Quarterback Justin Fields took blame.
He explained that the snap is supposed to come on the first leg kick, but there was a pause as Zach Frazier was IDing the line, so Fields took a second to look over the secondary and while he was doing that, the ball hit off his facemask.
“At the end of the day, it’s on the first leg kick. After I kick my leg up, I got to be ready for the ball no matter when it will come. It’s on me.”
“I was in the middle of making a call when I got a snap,” Frazier explained. “I got to snap it. I’m not sure what happened, it’s unfortunate.”
Flacco finish
If you count today as a win for Joe Flacco, it’s the 11th time in his career he’s beaten the Steelers, Cleveland is the only team he’s beaten more times. He’s now thrown 27 career touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
“I thought we got comfortable in the third quarter,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “When you work all week to defend Richardson and then you get Flacco, it’s a little bit different. It probably took us a little too long to adapt and adjust in some areas.”
On Sunday, Flaaco was 16-26 for 168 yards and two touchdowns for a 105.9 QB rating.
Injuries
Already without four starters, the Steelers lost three players at positions where they already had an injury
· G James Daniels (ankle) injured on the sixth play of the game, Spencer Anderson replaced Daniels
· OLB Nick Herbig (ankle) injured early in the second quarter, was able to return.
· RB/WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson, helped bring life to the offense and left on the second-to-last drive of the first half. Patterson was carted off the field with an ankle injury.
Best Quotes
“The real tangible reasons we lost this game, it’s on us. We were sloppy in a lot of ways. You just don’t win football games versus motivated groups in their venue playing the way we played today.”
Mike Tomlin
“One of our goals was minimizing chunk plays. We need to take practice and take it to the game. We need to work harder in practice. I felt like we could be better. If we want to be a great defense, it starts in practice.”
DeShon Elliott
“I wish I could tell you so we could figure it out. We have to look at ourselves and figure it out this week.”
Pat Freiermuth on slow starts
“Third and longs is always an advantage for a defense, but we didn’t take advantage of it. To not execute in those moments, unacceptable.”
Cam Heyward
“You always keep putting it on one person. It’s a whole team, all 11 of us. Stop making it one player. You all keep saying Justin, if like he’s the one that is throwing, catching and running. Come on bro, it’s all of us.”
Najee Harris
“A lack of communication and execution. It is nothing bigger than that. We just were sloppy. That’s why when we needed it, we couldn’t get it done. Some of us trying to be Superman.”
Patrick Queen
“We knew the whole game they weren’t stopping us, we were just stopping ourselves. It’s nothing mysterious. It’s just us at the end of the day. I have to be better. We have to be better as a whole.”
Justin Fields
"We are the Pittsburgh Steelers. We should be playing like it and we did not play like it today."
DeShon Elliott
Inactives
· QB Russell Wilson (emergency third QB)
· WR Roman Wilson-remains a healthy scratch
· CB Darius Rush
· RB Jaylen Warren
· LB Alex Highsmith
· G Isaac Seumalo-able to go through a limited practice all week
· TE MyCole Pruitt