Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was called for a crucial unnecessary roughness penalty late in his team’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and he was not shy in expressing his displeasure after the game.
The Colts were leading 17-10 and had the ball near midfield late in the third quarter at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. Joe Flacco, who had replaced an injured Anthony Richardson, threw a deep pass down the left sideline Adonai Mitchell. The pass fell incomplete, but Fitzpatrick’s momentum carried him into Mitchell and he hit the rookie wideout.
Fitzpatrick was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play:
https://twitter.com/iam_johnw/status/1840472054526615880
You can see another angle:
https://twitter.com/Steelersdepot/status/1840594616904744978
Fitzpatrick might have made minimal contact with Mitchell’s helmet, but the veteran defensive back clearly let up on the hit and turned away. Most of the contact between the two players was shoulder-to-shoulder.
Rather than having 3rd-and-10 at their own 42-yard line, the Colts were awarded a first down at the Pittsburgh 43. They went on to score a touchdown and take a 24-10 lead early in the third quarter.
After the Steelers lost 27-24, Fitzpatrick sounded off about the call.
“I mean, I thought we were playing football. I don’t know what we playing at this point,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a very different game than what I grew up playing and what I grew up loving. Can’t hit nobody hard, can’t be violent, so I don’t know what to say man.”
Minkah Fitzpatrick on his personal foul penalty
“I thought we were playing football …. This is not the game I grew up playing… you can’t hit anybody.” pic.twitter.com/wgaxCUoQeX
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 29, 2024
Fitzpatrick also said officials told him that Mitchell was a defenseless player and that Fitzpatrick hit the rookie in the head.
“I don’t understand how he’s defenseless. If he’s going for the ball, I’m going to make a play on him or the ball,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just because he puts his arms down at the last second, shouldn’t be a penalty. Didn’t hit him in the head either. But like I said, you hit people hard, and they throwing flags now.”
The call on Fitzpatrick may have had a direct impact on the outcome of the game, as Pittsburgh would have had an opportunity to stop the Colts on third down and get the ball back down seven.
Flacco led the Colts to a win after Richardson suffered an injury in the first quarter. Richardson appeared to hurt his hip on a hard hit from Fitzpatrick.
