Did The Steelers Benefit From A Shocking Decision Based On The Raiders Knowing Jimmy Garoppolo Was Concussed In 4th Quarter?

The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Las Vegas Raiders 23-18 on Sunday Night Football. The Steelers jumped out to a 23-7 lead on the strength of Kenny Pickett’s first multi-touchdown performance as a professional. The Raiders made a run late in the game on the strength of Jimmy Garoppolo’s second touchdown pass to Davante Adams after a questionable penalty.

Josh McDaniels has been getting roasted for his call to kick a field goal with under three minutes to play. Initially, he opted for a 48-yard field goal that saw the Steelers commit a leverage penalty, resulting in a first down for the Raiders after moving to the eight-yard line on fourth down. About a minute of game time later, he decided to kick the field goal again.

The decision looks slightly different this week after McDaniels dropped the news that Garoppolo had entered the concussion protocol. It is unknown what play the Raiders quarterback was injured. It does not directly shed light on the coaching decision because, presumably, the Raiders were unaware of his concussion during the game.

Steelers fans were outraged by the roughing the passer call on Minkah Fitzpatrick. It looked like the forcible contact was to Garoppolo’s shoulder on the replay. Even NBC’s officials' commentator Terry McAulay disagreed that the hit by Fitzpatrick rose to the level of a penalty. Roughing the passer calls are still not reviewable despite the ridiculous nature of most of these penalties.

Cincinnati Bengals fans have been outraged for years over what they considered a dive by Antonio Brown in the playoffs that drew a critical penalty on Vontaze Burfict. They thought he was faking all the way up to when he missed the Divisional Round playoff game the Steelers lost 23-16 to the Denver Broncos. Questioning the validity of a concussion is risky business. 

Steelers' Kenny Pickett May Have Played The Entire Week 1 Game With A Dangerous Concussion

Last season, the NFL came under fire for the appearance of mishandling Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's multiple concussions. Social media circulated images of Pickett and suggested that he suffered a concussion early in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers. This is a diagnosis that the actual doctors responsible for evaluating the second-year signal caller did not make, and the team denies. 

The Raiders got the ball back with :12 seconds remaining after the McDaniels decision. He sent his starting quarterback back into the game, so the Raiders seemingly did not believe he was exhibiting symptoms. Ben Roethlisberger self-reported concussions during his career after games, and Garoppolo possibly hid his condition from coaches and medical staff. 

Fitzpatrick's hit was a glancing blow, and Garoppolo might not have felt the full effects of that or any other hit at the time. Fitzpatrick is still under the microscope for the incident with Nick Chubb on Monday Night Football, where the Cleveland Browns running back suffered a torn MCL. The hit that was flagged was not a particularly vicious collision. It could have just been an accumulation of the four sacks, and eight quarterback hits he endured in the Steelers victory. 

The injury that was not diagnosed during the game may have benefitted the Steelers. It does not, however, let McDaniels off the hook for kicking a field goal with so little time remaining inside the 10-yard line. If he knew his quarterback was injured, he should be fined and suspended for putting him back on the field. Assuming he did not, the consequence of a dubious coaching decision might be the end of his tenure with Las Vegas. 

With the victory, the Steelers moved to 2-1 and first place in the AFC North. Despite the opinion of certain broadcasters, wins don't come with asterisks in the NFL. Pittsburgh has a suddenly tall task in front of them when they visit the Houston Texans on Sunday. The young Texans are starting to gel and upset the heavily favored Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3. The Steelers cannot afford trap games in September. Luckily, Matt Canada's offense keeps the rest of the team on their toes. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you surprised to hear about Garoppolo's diagnosis, and when do you think it happened? Please comment below, or on my Twitter / X: @thebubbasq.

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