The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing to travel northeast to take on the New England Patriots in Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. The fan base is desperate for a win after a pathetic showing from the Black and Gold in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Key areas must improve in the run game, as well as the defense as a whole. Pittsburgh forced two turnovers in Week 2, but the defense was still a disappointment as the unit continued to allow Seattle to move the ball up and down the field.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
One factor in an NFL game that often affects the outcome is penalties, and especially how certain referee crews call certain infractions. The Steelers and Patriots were assigned Clete Blakeman for their game on Sunday, and his crew has some tendencies that are worth noting. Blakeman and his crew have officiated two games so far in the 2025 season, and the crew has called offensive and defensive holding the most. Looking back to the 2024 season in order to get a larger sample size, Blakeman's crew called offensive holding 42 times and a combination of defensive holding and pass interference 36 times.
This is clearly an issue for the Steelers as the team has a young offensive line that might be prone to holding, although it has not yet been a serious issue in 2025. It was an issue in 2024, specifically with Broderick Jones as he was once penalized three times within six snaps back at the start of the 2024 season, which led to him being benched the rest of the contest. This happened against the Denver Broncos, which just so happened to be a game that was officiated by Blakeman and his crew.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (77) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Jones and the rest of the young offensive line are going to be interesting to watch in this Week 3 matchup, especially at right tackle as Troy Fautanu has already been called for holding in 2025. It could become more of an issue in Week 3 as the referee crew seems to keep a close eye on potential holding penalties.
Defensively, Pittsburgh has plenty of problems that have already been on display. The unit can barely stop anything despite the hype that surrounded the group going into the 2025 season.
Blakeman's crew is an important thing to note in case Joey Porter Jr. ends up playing in the game on Sunday. He is currently battling back from a hamstring injury he suffered during Pittsburgh's Week 1 game, but he has been known to be ultra-aggressive in coverage so far in his young career. This was shown specifically throughout the 2024 regular season.
Porter has only played in 34 games in his career, and he has 20 accepted penalties against him. These are a mixture of defensive holding, defensive pass interference, as well as illegal hands to the face penalties. There is also a few face mask penalties in there, but most of them have come in coverage.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr gets a rep in during the team's 2023 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers' Joey Porter Jr. Could Get Picked On In Coverage
It is not confirmed whether or not Porter will be playing against New England in Week 3. He was ruled out of Pittsburgh's Week 2 matchup after leaving the Week 1 contest early, but there is some hope he will be on the field in New England. The coaching staff for the Patriots certainly knows about his issues with penalties, and that will be a note going into the game. Stefon Diggs is a veteran receiver for New England who likely knows exactly how to take advantage of this, while also having some tricks up his sleeve to get some ticky tacky calls.
What do you think about Pittsburgh's disadvantages with this officiating crew for Week 3? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
