Steelers have had good luck with NFL line judge Sarah Thomas

Pittsburgh 21 Oakland 24: December 9, 2018

This game took a twist, it’s the only game the Steelers have lost while Thomas’ crew officiated.  Which is odd Pittsburgh shouldn’t have lost, considering they flagged the Raiders 13 times for 130 yards while the Steelers only drew two penalties the whole game.

The Steelers missed opportunities to convert the penalties into points as Roethlisberger got injured in the first half and backup Joshua Dobbs played all of the third quarter with five minutes left in the fourth when Ben came back into the game. Too little too late. Despite the penalties on the Raiders, Ben couldn’t orchestrate a comeback to overcome the Raiders’ lead. Pittsburgh lost only because of injuries, despite the opportunities from the referees.

Miami 14 Pittsburgh 27: Monday night October 28, 2019

It’s hard to imagine how officiating helps the Steelers when they get flagged nine times for 70 yards when the Dolphins only draw five penalties for 45 yards. Yet it happened. With Roethlisberger out for the year, Mason Rudolph led the Steelers. Thanks to three crucial calls, Pittsburgh won.

The first call was pivotal. With 20 seconds left in the third quarter on a fourth and one, the Dolphins apparently got the first down on a quarterback sneak. Then the Steelers challenged, and officials overturned the call giving Pittsburgh the ball back, thus stopping the Dolphins drive. Then on the next Steelers possession, starting at their 48-yard line, the Dolphins got hit with successive penalties, first, a 10-yard holding and then a 25-yard pass interference. Two plays later, the Steelers scored a touchdown. Thanks to the momentum from those three calls, the Dolphins never came close to scoring, allowing Pittsburgh to preserve their lead.