Steelers Now Extremely Cautious About Referees After Questionable Proposal

The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans have a checkered past, to say the least, when it comes to NFL officials. While almost all NFL fans have some gripe with them, the Steelers and Steeler Nation have a legitimate one. During Ben Roethlisberger's historic tenure with the team, including two Super Bowl wins, Roethlisberger did not get the calls that the opposing teams' quarterbacks would often receive. This storyline, largely attributed to Roethlisberger's status as one of the most physically imposing quarterbacks in the league, was a recurring theme for the Steelers and created an us-vs-them mentality that resonates today.

What makes the NFL so unique is how many of its calls are truly subjective. For example, fans are still trying to truly figure out what a catch is; this year's best example was a highly controversial call during overtime of the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs between the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. The AFC playoffs were as wide open as ever this season, and the Bills had their best chance to finally make a Super Bowl with superstar quarterback Josh Allen. Allen threw a jump ball up to Bills receiver Brandin Cooks on what many fans thought was a Cooks catch, but was ruled an interception. The Broncos then drove down the field for a game-winning field goal.

A 60-minute game can truly come down to one call, and NFL reporter Judy Battista reported that the NFL Competition Committee is considering major changes to how games are officiated.

"Also on the Competition Committee agenda for Monday is replay review, including potential use of replay to put a flag on the field that was not originally called by game officials."

This would be one of the biggest changes that the NFL has made to its officiating rules in years. Its effectiveness would largely depend upon what it's used for. Would it just be an internal replay review, or could NFL teams also challenge plays for penalties? If NFL teams could challenge penalties, it would create challenges over situations like catches, pass interference, and perhaps even roughing the passer and holding calls. While it is clearly important to get the call right, this would help; many details would still have to be ironed out, however.

A question the NFL has to ask itself is how to weigh getting every call right against disrupting the flow of the game. The NBA has received significant criticism from its fans for its constant reviews, which can make the last two minutes take over 20 minutes of real time. In the case of the highly controversial Cooks non-catch, the NFL came out in support of its on-field call after the game, ruling that the interception was, in fact, correct. The issue may not be the officials getting the calls wrong on the field, but the rules leaving so much up for interpretation that even with the benefit of replay, there are so many grey areas to navigate. 

Steelers Have To Focus On What They Can Control

While the officiating can take over a narrative, at the end of the day, the Steelers can only control so much. Fortunately, the Steelers will once again return a veteran-laden roster, and new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy shouldn't have too much trouble keeping the Steelers' defense on the prize. This was a team that rallied around each other under former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin en route to an AFC North title in 2025, and are desperate for any playoff success, as their last playoff victory came all the way back in the 2016 season.

While the flow of NFL games may look very different next season, the game remains the same. It may take a few seasons to perfect the new NFL replay rules if they decide to go down this path, but just as with most other changes the NFL has made over time, fans will become accustomed to them, as with anything else. 

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