Phantom penalty cost Steelers points before halftime vs. Falcons

This officiating has been... something. In the first half of the Steelers vs. Falcons Week 1 matchup, there have been egregious calls against and questionable ball spotting for both teams. But a penalty against George Pickens takes the cake.

With roughly four minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Steelers were looking to convert on long. That's when quarterback Justin Fields found George Pickens deep down the sideline to put the Steelers in field goal range.

Unfortunately, a despicable offensive pass interference call against Pickens wiped away the biggest play of the first half for either team.

In George Pickens fashion, the talented number one wide receiver burst down the sideline and flashed late hands to effortlessly pluck the ball out of the sky. But as the Steelers rejoiced, the yellow laundry flew, and Pickens was called for a pass interference.

Upon replay, Steelers fans were furious. While Pickens put his hands on cornerback A.J. Terrell just before the ball came his way, the 6'3'' wide receiver didn't extend his arms. This was an easy no-call that the officials botched.

Bad officiating could cost the Steelers a win against the Falcons

If the reception would have stood, the Steelers would have been well inside of field goal range. This essentially wiped three points off the board, and after a burst of energy from the offense, the drive could have resulted in a touchdown.

Just before the half, T.J. Watt was called for offsides on a play that otherwise would have resulted in a strip sack that could have saved a score for the defense. Watt jumped trying to time the snap, but it was very close as to whether he was actually offsides by the time the ball was snapped.

Head referee Brad Rogers and his crew called 211 penalties during the 2023 season with a per-game average above the rest of the crews in the NFL. It's also discouraging to see that the home team wins over 82 percent of the games they play when Rogers is the head official.

This thing is far from over, but it's egregious phantom calls like this that can shift the momentum and change the outcome of the game. The Steelers may have to beat both the refs and the Falcons in this one. Entering the half, Atlanta holds a 10-6 lead over Pittsburgh.