Overreactions from Steelers Nation: The NFL’s obsession with taunting
Welcome to my weekly edition of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation”. This week, I’m trying to figure out if Steelers fans even watch the games!
If there is one thing that a lot of fans are talking about right now in the NFL, it is taunting. The league’s recent emphasis on cutting down taunting has brought the rule into question, as to whether or not these calls are changing games.
Bears fans were irate on Monday, as one of their own was tagged with a flag after celebrating a bit too much. Recently called up from the practice squad, LB Cassius Marsh sacked Ben Roethlisberger and then proceeded to get a bit too excited about it.
What followed was a flag from referee Tony Corrente, and rather than a fourth down which may have pushed the Steelers out of field goal range, Pittsburgh was awarded a first down and fifteen yards.
Marsh’s position coach on the sideline ripped him a new you-know-what, which signaled to everyone watching that the player should’ve composed himself better, and that within the context of the rule, Marsh was guilty.
Unfortunately, not everyone feels that way. But we have to begin with what the rule is first.
What is taunting?
Taunting can be found in the official NFL rulebook under Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 or 12-3-1(c), under Unsportsmanlike Conduct. It is defined as:
Using baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams.
The wording may be vague, but if the action is deliberate, NFL officials have been specifically instructed to enforce the rule this season. Contrary to what some may believe, referees aren’t going to look the other way – and quite frankly, they can’t. There are cameras everywhere.
And that’s why the rule is being taken more seriously this season. The league’s competition committee, which Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin sits on, recognized the influence that professional athletes are having on other levels of the game; namely youth football. (i.e. kids.)
The NFL has had many initiatives for safety and social issues over the years, and bullying falls under those categories.
Some are asking if there has been a change to the rules – and there has not. Rather, this was something highlighted during the offseason and teams were alerted that referees were going to crackdown on. It is the responsibility of the teams, and specifically players, to know this.
There is no doubt that taunting has the potential to change the outcome of any game, so much so it could give you an edge when placing bets on this NFL betting site in Pennsylvania.
What are the penalties for taunting?
The penalties for taunting in a game are nothing to overlook:
Loss of 15 yards from the succeeding spot or whatever spot the Referee, after consulting with the crew, deems equitable. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down.
The foul can also accumulate and does not have to occur on the field, or even during the game:
Two violations of [taunting] by the same player, which occur before or during the game, will result in disqualification in addition to the yardage penalty. Any violations at the game site on the day of the game, including postgame, may result in discipline by the Commissioner.
If you thought a 15-yard penalty was something fans complained about, just imagine if a player is called for it twice! (Especially if the first occurrence happens, say, during pregame warmups.) The result would be an ejection and certainly a fine to follow.
The fine can be substantial, as the NFL has stated players can be fined up to $10,300 if this is the first offense. This fine will increase if this is not the first violation too. A second gesture can mean players having to pay up to $15,450.
Of course, this is setup to deter taunting by players.
Some taunting numbers:
There have been 12 taunting penalties called over the last two weeks. That's the most over a two week stretch this season.
NFL officiating has called more taunting penalties through 9 weeks this season (31) than they called in 2019 & 2020 combined (20).
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 9, 2021
Is it costing teams games?
I drew the line here the other day on the SCU Podcast: the taunting call wasn’t the only problem with the officiating on Monday Night Football. However, just because the Bears were penalized more than the Steelers, doesn’t mean the Bears were innocent targets of the referees.
Consider the Marquise Goodwin bobbling catch which was ruled as a reception on the field, and upheld during replay. That 50-yard play aided Chicago to scoring points with a huge gain.
The Bears also found themselves offsides and in the neutral zone on several occasions. If they were playing mistake-free football, perhaps, we’d have a better gauge as to how much of an impact the taunting call made.
I’ll go out on a limb and say it didn’t “win the Steelers the game”. There’s been plenty of bad officiating in the NFL, not just in Steelers games and almost certainly never always in favor of Pittsburgh either!
Just because one call finally goes in their favor, the world went insane.
While I admit the taunting penalties borderline on the bizarre, it’s something totally preventable too. You can choose to not smack talk or stare down a sideline.
I’ll pick my battles with the roughing the passer calls where a defender barely breaths on a quarterback!
