The Pittsburgh Steelers recently ranked second in the NFL in an embarrassing statistic - unsportsmanlike conduct fines. The fines were analyzed as a result of a study done by Gambling.com looking at the whole NFL for the past five years.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers offense huddles up during a game.
The study took information from the website Spotrac, which compiles a variety of data about the NFL by team. According to Spotrac, the Steelers have amassed a total of 11 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for $145, 859 in fines during the past five years. The team that ranked first ahead of Pittsburgh is the Denver Broncos with 12 fines for a total of $154,944.
At times, unsportsmanlike conduct is simply the fault of the player or players involved. For example, during the 2022 season, the Steelers played the Carolina Panthers, and both Diontae Johnson and Marcus Allen were flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and fined. Both committed penalties that appeared were egregious, obvious, and immature.
-544x306.jpg "Steelers Marcus Allen")
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Marcus Allen gets hyped up with Mark Robinson.
In the case of Allen, he nearly cost his team the game. Despite the Steelers having taken a commanding lead, Allen became frustrated and approached the Carolina special teams huddle. It appeared that he attempted to insert himself into their group and began trash-talking the players. This gave the Panthers a 15-yard penalty and nearly allowed them to get themselves back in the game. Later it was revealed by his teammates that there might have been more to the story.
In the case of Johnson, it was potentially a little less obvious. After a big play on the part of Johnson on a big 3rd and 6, he loomed over a Carolina defender that was on the ground and taunted him. The refs called it and Johnson hurt the team 15 yards and a big penalty. Johnson spoke up multiple times and said that it was just a celebration, he did not even see the player on the ground. Regardless, it was a selfish mistake that could have cost them the game.
Apparently, this kind of undisciplined behavior is not new to the Steelers considering they have 12 of these kinds of penalties over the course of the last few years. However, can they blame the Cleveland Browns for helping to get them so high up the list?
Do The Pittsburgh Steelers Owe The Cleveland Browns For Part Of Their Unsportsmanlike Reputation?
Gambling.com's study places a big part of the blame for the Steelers' spot on the list on the Browns, specifically on defender Myles Garrett and his altercation with Mason Rudolph.
This fight went down in Steelers and Browns lore as one of the biggest bloodbaths in NFL history. It sent shockwaves through both cities, the NFL and fueled an already tense rivalry. In 2019, the Steelers and the Browns were playing one of their incredibly physical in-conference games when Garrett sacked Rudolph.
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Cleveland Browns DE hits Pittsburgh Steelers QB2 Mason Rudolph with his own helmet after an on-field scuffle.
The two were clearly exchanging words when Garrett snatched the helmet off Rudolph's head and swung it at him. Fortunately, Rudolph saw it coming and ducked his head so it only glanced off. It was a good thing, if it had hit him full force it could have done serious damage.
As soon as Rudolph's teammates saw Garrett swing the helmet they, went full force after him. They got him on the ground and several players began kicking and punching him. Garrett was leveled with a huge fine and a suspension for the rest of the season. Two other players were also suspended, Larry Ogunjobi from the Browns (ironically now a Steeler), and Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers center who came to the defense of his quarterback.
The real damage was done in fines though. Each team was fined $250,000 and individual players that were involved were assessed fines ranging from $3,507 to $45,623 with Garrett being levied the largest one.
This isn't surprising considering the same study shows that the Browns have been fined the most money. In only five years, they have racked up a monumental sum in fines - $1,256,134.75. Garrett is a major contributor to that total.
Something else that won't be a surprise to any Steelers fan is the fact that the team with the second largest fine total was the Cincinnati Bengals with $339,143. They only rank 14th on the list for the number of unsportsmanlike penalties with just six. In fairness, the majority of their total comes from Bengals safety Shawn Williams stepping on an opponent during the 2019 season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and guard Ramon Foster on the sideline during a game.
Just to round out the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens have 5 penalties for $74,865. And the team who ranks the lowest? The San Francisco 49ers with zero unsportsmanlike penalties for $0 within the past five years.
In some ways, it is not surprising that the Steelers have accumulated so many penalties. They, like the rest of the AFC North, play very physical, smashmouth football. That being said, there is still some discipline that needs to be maintained by the players.
What do you think about the study and the results? Are you surprised? Do you think the Steelers are generally undisciplined or do you see this as situational? Click to comment below!
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