James Daniels takes umbrage after brutal late hit on Kenny Pickett

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett took a lick following a run in the second half, and offensive guard James Daniels was having none of it. 

It’s not hard to see why tempers started flaring for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half against the Bills. In the first two quarters, Mike Tomlin’s team was embarrassed by a hammering that saw them exiting the tunnel at halftime in a 31-3 deficit.

In the second half, the Steelers left points on the table once again. In the opening drive of the second half, rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett, marched his team down the field into scoring range. On  4th and 6, Pickett found Johnson on the sidelines, but the ball was raked loose.

On the following offensive position, Pickett’s offense was driving once again. When Pickett decided to roll out and run on the ball on third down, the rookie QB took a shot at the end of the play while sliding.

In retaliation, Steelers offensive lineman, James Daniels, was having none of it. Daniels came to the defense of Pickett by taking a shot at Bills safety, Damar Hamlin. Daniels shoved him to the ground and a skirmish broke out near Buffalo’s sidelines.

As a result of the retaliation, Daniels was ejected from the contest. This came as a bit of a surprise, as many believe his actions in defending his quarterback were justified. While it was certainly a personal foul, it was just a push and no punches were thrown.

I commend Daniels for coming to the aid of his quarterback when Hamlin went low on him as he was sliding. Clearly, frustration was getting the best of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’s not hard to understand why.