Chase Claypool's poorly-timed celebration of a first-down catch proved costly in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 36-28 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week, as he regrettably wasted precious seconds during the team's final drive late in the fourth quarter.
Following the game, Claypool admitted his blunder, telling reporters that he's "definitely gotta be better." But he didn't exactly concede that the celebration played a part in the loss. Claypool argued that, once the play concluded, the referee wasn't close enough to take the ball, and a linebacker knocked it out of his hands. Regardless, Steelers legend Joe Greene is still mad at Claypool.
"Hey man, I thought you were more educated. Didn't you go to Notre Dame?" Greene told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "Why are you playing this game: for you to show your butt, or win the game? You made the play. Give the ball back to the official. The clock is ticking. You're costing your team valuable time. That youthful exuberance, I don't know, maybe it was that.
"In college, when you get a first down, the clock stops. Maybe he had a throwback memory -- he was in college, and the clock was going to stop. Don't know. But the game isn't about him pointing for a first down. Hell, we can see. We know you made the first down. Get your tail back to the huddle, get the ball back to the official. Very immature."
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed Claypool's gaffe during a Tuesday press conference, explaining that the sophomore receiver's development and growth "can't happen fast enough for him, can't happen fast enough for us." In 11 games this season, Claypool has racked up 753 yards on 47 receptions (81 targets) with one touchdown.
Pittsburgh (6-6-1), which now sits in last place in the up-for-grabs AFC North, will host the Tennessee Titans (9-4) in a Week 15 clash on Sunday afternoon. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Steelers have just a 10-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 5-percent chance to win the division.
The entire Steelers conversation between Greene and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.