One day later and the end of Saturday night’s AFC Wild Card game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals is still really hard to comprehend. It seems crazy that Ben Roethlisberger was able to lead his team down the field for a game-winning field goal even though he couldn’t throw the ball with anything on it due to a shoulder injury.
It also seems crazy that the Steelers were gifted 30 penalty yards in one sequence by two Bengals defenders at the end of the drive – linebacker Vontaze Burfict went shoulder-to-helmet on Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown, and defensive back Adam Jones made contact with an official while he tried to get in the face of Pittsburgh outside linebacker coach Joey Porter.
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While the 15 yards the Steelers received for Burfict’s hit would have made the game-winning field goal a 50-yard attempt, the penalty on Jones made the final kick a chip shot for Chris Boswell. Apparently, someone in Pittsburgh’s locker room viewed the second penalty as a game changer, and decided that Porter deserved the game ball for his involvement in the call.
Joey Porter got the game ball. PHENOMENAL.
— Marielena Balouris (@Marielena_TV) January 10, 2016
.@Dejan_Kovacevic on a national radio interview reports that the #Steelers gave Joey Porter the game ball. What a night. #NFLPlayoffs
— Timothy Pontzer (@TimothyPontzer) January 10, 2016
There are some serious issues here, namely that Porter being on the field likely should have been penalized. Here’s what the NFL rulebook says about non-players taking the field, via Black Sports Online:
Either or both team attendants and their helpers may enter the field to attend their team during a team timeout by either team. No other non-player may come on the field without the Referee’s permission, unless he is an incoming substitute (5-2-2).
During any team timeout, all playing rules continue in force. Representatives of either team are prohibited from entering the field unless they are incoming substitutes, or team attendants or trainers entering to provide for the welfare of a player, and any game-type activities are prohibited on the Field of Play.
And for breaking these rules, it seems Porter will be punished by the league.
Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter will be fined for coming on to field Saturday night and engaging Bengals players, per a source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 10, 2016
Whatever the fine is, it’ll be a small price to pay for helping the Steelers beat their rivals while earning a game ball in the process.
