Steelers QB Kenny Pickett injured on textbook roughing the passer… with no penalty

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was injured on a textbook roughing the passer call… but no flag was thrown against the Jaguars.

The most interesting thing about the NFL’s rules for roughing the passer (which you can read here) is this proviso at the end:

When in doubt about a roughness call or potentially dangerous tactic against the quarterback, the Referee should always call roughing the passer.

Referee Alan Eck and his crew didn’t get THAT memo before they started calling Sunday’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Jacksonville Jaguars game. There were multiple questionable hits on Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett before this hit by Jaguars defensive tackle Adam Gotsis with 17 seconds left in the first half.

Pickett was injured on the play, and this wasn’t the only time Eck and his guys averted their eyes to what might have been construed as extracurricular activity. Dave Dameshek, our buddy who is an avowed Steelers homer, nonetheless has some salient points below, and from both sides. Steelers linebacker Keanu Neal was flagged for roughing the passer on the first play detailed, and then… crickets.

Eck’s crew had called four roughing the passer penalties coming into this game, so your guess is as good as ours regarding what appeared to be missed.

Mike Tomlin is asking the question we’d all like to ask.