Officials made their presence felt early in Week 13’s contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. While much of the discussion leading up to the game centered on the necessity for the Black and Gold offense to score early and often to keep pace with Cincinnati’s threatening offense, the black-and-white-striped referees heavily influenced the contest within the first five minutes.
With 11:56 remaining in the first quarter, Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt pulled on Steelers WR George Pickens‘ helmet, knocking the wide receiver to the ground and positioning himself for a routine pick-six.
George Pickens’ helmet grabbed and pulled to the ground, no? #Steelers
— Vent It (@VentItMedia) December 1, 2024
The referees missed this obvious penalty, which could have been flagged as illegal contact, holding, or illegal hands to the face. This allowed the dangerous Bengals team to seize all the momentum. Pickens would ultimately score a touchdown on a later Pittsburgh drive, giving his team a much-needed breath of life on offense.
