The Pittsburgh Steelers had a nightmare start in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts, with their usually dominant defense putting them in an early 17-0 hole. Although Justin Fields and the offense mounted a remarkable second-half comeback, the effort ultimately fell short as the Steelers lost 27-24.
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Steelers' Minkah Fitzpatrick making a tackle during a Week 4 game against the Colts.
In a pivotal moment, the defense was trying to redeem its first-half performance and get the Colts off the field when quarterback Joe Flacco threw a pass to Adonai Mitchell that fell incomplete. Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, sprinting to prevent a big play, barely made contact with Mitchell as he tried to slow down. Despite the minimal contact, Fitzpatrick was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty.
That call gave the Colts another chance, allowing them to extend their drive and eventually score, pushing the lead to 24-10. The penalty was widely criticized by many, including rules analyst Gene Steratore and the broadcast team. During his Tuesday press conference, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin addressed the controversial call and shared his thoughts with the media.
"You know, you are going to get wronged from time to time, just like the opponents are going to make a play from time to time. It’s how we respond to it. We still had a lot of opportunity to win that game after the call in particular."
Tomlin was careful not to blame the controversial call for the loss, but he did reveal that he had spoken with NFL headquarters on Monday, where the league apologized for the decision, admitting they didn’t agree with it either.
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Steelers' Mike Tomlin celebrates on the sideline during a game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2024.
Tomlin went on to share more of his thoughts on the officiating in Week 4.
"I didn’t like that call. I talked to New York yesterday and they didn’t like that call as well, but it doesn’t help me on a Monday. So on Sunday, we better be mentally tough and we better move onto the next snap and just realize at times, that's a component of the game. The officials aren’t perfect and none of us are."
Former Steelers legend James Harrison took to social media after the loss, expressing his frustration and claiming that Pittsburgh was cheated by the referees, particularly highlighting the call on Fitzpatrick. Ben Roethlisberger also weighed in, stating that he believed it was a terrible call.
While it seems universally accepted that the call was poor, it wasn’t the sole reason for the Steelers' loss against the Colts. In fact, Pittsburgh benefited from some favorable calls early in the game, leading some to argue that the bad calls typically balance out.
Steelers Have Some Silver Lining In The Week 4 Loss
Still, Steeler Nation was understandably upset to see Fitzpatrick penalized for such a dubious call, as it gave the Colts an advantage on that particular drive. The Steelers as a team struggled for most of the game but still had a chance to either tie or win on the final drive, which serves as a silver lining in this defeat.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields looks to pass during a game against the Colts.
Another positive was Fields' performance. He threw for 312 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 55 yards and adding two touchdowns on the ground.
Despite a couple of costly mistakes, Fields played well under pressure and gave his team a fighting chance, something that previous Steelers teams in 2023 struggled to do when faced with multiple-score deficits. The fact that this team was able to rally and compete for a victory is a small but noteworthy positive moving forward.
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