Steelers Could Be At Strong Disadvantage Against Jets Due To The Officiating Crew Led By Shawn Smith

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a big AFC matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday Night Football in Week 7. The team is sitting in good shape with a record of 4-2, but the Jets are already entering desperation mode, sitting at 2-4. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and his squad will have their hands full, especially because the newly-acquired Davante Adams is expected to play for New York. One area that hasn't been talked about too much leading up to the matchup is the big disadvantage Pittsburgh has when it comes to a poor wide receiving corps having to deal with Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner.

George Pickens is going to receive the bulk of the attention from the Jets' defense, but there is another layer to the potential mismatch that could make it even more difficult for the Steelers and the pass-catchers on offense. The officiating crew for the contest will be led by Shawn Smith, and Dale Lolley of the team's website noted on X that the cornerbacks for New York might be able to get away with being a bit more physical.

While his crew isn't throwing as many flags as several others throughout the league, the Jets are a handsy defense that has been called often for pass interference at a rate of more than one per game. The Steelers' pass-catchers already need as much help as they can get as the unit hasn't been very productive in 2024, and it may get even tougher on Sunday night.

This has to be something that Tomlin and his staff have numbers on, and it could benefit Joey Porter Jr. too, who also tends to work with his hands on receivers often. Overall, though, the assignment of Smith's crew can be looked at as a negative for the Steelers. That's not the only thing that is concerning when looking at the track record for Smith, however.

Another thing about Smith's crew that sticks out is the consistent nature of seeming to favor teams on the road in recent years. In 2023, home teams had a win percentage of just 17.65 while the league average was roughly 56%. In 2024, away teams have been victorious in three of the five games officiated by Smith's group, and home teams are having roughly 54% of the penalties called against them.

There is a relatively small sample size in 2024, but it's impossible to ignore what went on it 2023 for Smith's crew. The Steelers haven't seen him since 2022, in a game in which Pittsburgh defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-18, in the Steel City. It will be interesting to see if the trend of the last year and a half continues, and it's not encouraging due to Tomlin's team seeming to have a discipline issues in 2024.

Overall, penalties can completely swing a game and in today's NFL, the officials are constantly getting scrutinized. No fan wants the referees to decide a game, but it is concerning to have a crew calling a game that only had three home team wins in the regular season back in 2023.

Steelers Can Eliminate Risk Of Playing Aggressive With Fast Start

While Smith's crew may not be in the business of calling many defensive pass interference calls, the most-called infraction being a hold puts the pressure on the offensive line. If Pittsburgh can play clean right out of the gate and go up early with a strong running game, it may allow the team to settle in. Going up in the first half also puts the pressure on the Jets to make plays quickly, which could cause mistakes that Smith's crew simply can't ignore.

Do you think that the Steelers are at a disadvantage on Sunday night with Smith's crew? Let us know in the comments below!

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