NFL fans stormed Twitter Sunday to voice their disgust with a controversial penalty against Pittsburgh Steelers star Cameron Heyward.
The defensive tackle sacked Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson early in the fourth quarter. It looked to be a routine sack, a perfectly clean play … until a flag flew.
Officials called a personal foul on Heyward for roughing the passer.
Worst call of season pic.twitter.com/KQv46kbOhr
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) January 8, 2023
Heyward was incredulous at the call, waving his arm to dismiss the situation. The CBS broadcast crew was stunned as well, exchanging comments such as “I don’t know how you could call that.”
The game situation made things worse. The Browns would have been facing third and long on the next play. The penalty made it first and goal, and Cleveland promptly scored against the Steelers, who were playing a must-win game.
It’s the second week in a row the Steelers star has been on the wrong end of an extremely questionable personal foul. He picked up an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Baltimore Ravens.
Cam Heyward gets a strange unnecessary roughness penalty before the half and it changes a Ravens FG into the only TD of the game #PITvsBAL pic.twitter.com/5EhOa5acBE
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) January 2, 2023
NFL fans were outraged by the penalty.
“How is this roughing the passer against Cam Heyward?” tweeted Mark Bergin.
How is this roughing the passer against Cam Heyward? pic.twitter.com/N0qhTRhLLd
— Mark Bergin (@MarkBergin_) January 8, 2023
“That was a football play. If he’s trying to resist getting tackled what should he do, let him go? Total BS,” Nathan Stueber tweeted.
That was a football play. If he’s trying to resist getting tackled what should he do, let him go? Total BS.
— Nathan Stueber (@snuebs88) January 8, 2023
“They need to fix roughing the passer. That was a pathetic call against Cam Heyward,” tweeted Jamie Uyeyama.
They need to fix roughing the passer. That was a pathetic call against Cam Heyward
— Jamie Uyeyama (@jamieuyeyama) January 8, 2023
“That was quite possibly the worst roughing the passer call on Cam Heyward that I have seen,” tweeted Evan Green.
That was quite possibly the worst roughing the passer call on Cam Heyward that I have seen.
— Evan Green (@evancgreen) January 8, 2023
“Yikes that roughing the passer on Cam Heyward was a tough one. Looked like a normal sack,” tweeted Jason McCourty.
Yikes that roughing the passer on Cam Heyward was a tough one. Looked like a normal sack…
— Jason McCourty (@JasonMcCourty) January 8, 2023
[Andrew Fillipponi; Photo credit: CBS Sports]
