Joe Haden was called for two pass interference fouls during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and was not happy about it.
Haden was the victim of arguably the worst call of the season when he was called for a pass interference on a fourth down in the first quarter. Instead of an interception, the Saints got the ball at the 1-yard line and scored to go up 7-3.
Later in the game, Haden was called for another pass interference on a fourth down play. This one came with two minutes left, extended New Orleans’ drive, and led to the Saints’ winning touchdown.
Haden complained that “you can’t touch” receivers.
Steelers corner Joe Haden very frustrated with interference calls against him. "It’s an offensive game. You can’t touch these guys," he said. Haden plans to do better in future but "it sucks sometimes because those plays are so big, and they are weighted differently," he said.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 24, 2018
Haden is right. The frequency of defensive pass interference or defensive holding calls feels astronomical, which has made the game so one-sided towards passing offenses. You can’t touch a receiver without the fear of a penalty — often one that changes the outcome.
