Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett calls out low hit after loss

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Looking for someplace to throw the ball late within the fourth quarter of a 38-3 loss, Kenny Pickett scrambled towards the sideline at Highmark Stadium with Buffalo Payments defender Shaq Lawson scorching in pursuit.

Because the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback removed the ball, Lawson dove low, tackling Pickett beneath his waist to carry him to the bottom. Pickett took exception to the hit and shoved the defensive finish as he picked himself up off the turf.

Pickett did not cease there, and he briefly continued to go after Lawson till left sort out Chukwuma Okorafor and the remainder of the Steelers offensive linemen stepped in to interrupt up the scuffle.

“From my opinion, I felt like he went after my knee after I threw it,” Pickett mentioned. “That is it. You already know, tempers flare. I do not care, I am gonna maintain taking part in to the final play of the sport. That was it. All good with me.”

Pickett was assessed a penalty for pointless roughness, whereas A.J. Epenesa, who jumped within the scrum after it began, was additionally flagged for pointless roughness and was ejected. Lawson left the sport quickly after and shouted again towards the sphere as he walked to the locker room. He declined to speak concerning the hit postgame.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin supported his quarterback’s response calling it “acceptable.”

It wasn’t the primary time Pickett took additional contact within the Steelers’ blowout loss. Pickett, who accomplished 34 of 52 makes an attempt for 327 yards with 1 INT in his first profession begin, was additionally hit by Buffalo defensive again Damar Hamlin as he slid down within the third quarter. Hamlin got here in as Pickett was already taking place for the slide, and Steelers’ offensive lineman James Daniels jumped to Pickett’s protection and shoved Hamlin after the play, initiating a minor melee between the 2 groups close to the Payments’ sideline.

The officers mentioned the hit was “authorized motion” and Daniels was whistled for pointless roughness. Afterward, neither Pickett nor Tomlin had an issue with Hamlin, a Pitt product and school teammate of Pickett’s, however they believed Hamlin ought to’ve been referred to as for roughing the passer.

“I had an issue that the officers did not have an issue, not essentially Hamlin,” mentioned Tomlin, later referring to his Pittsburgh ties through the use of the native space code. “I really like Ham. He a 412-er. He performs laborious. He is a great child. I had an issue with the truth that it wasn’t officiated in a approach that I anticipated it being officiated.”

Whereas Pickett threw for over 300 yards and had a number of completions of greater than 20 yards in his debut, the Steelers offense managed simply three factors after going 0-for-4 within the purple zone. Kicker Chris Boswell additionally missed two area objectives, and the Steelers recorded their worst loss since dropping the 1989 season opener to the Cleveland Browns 51-0.

“Level clean, we did not put factors up,” Pickett mentioned. “That is the primary factor. We gotta be so much higher within the purple zone. Felt like we moved the ball, however we simply could not end. It is one thing that we’ve to get fastened shortly and get again to the drafting board right here on Monday.”