Oct 5, 2016 6 min read

What constitutes a celebration penalty and what does not? That’s what Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would like to know.

I would, as well.

I watch a lot of NFL games, as many as I can. It’s part of my job.

I’ve seen guys get penalized for some pretty silly things this season, such as Cleveland’s Terrelle Pryor being given a taunting penalty when the ball he was tossing to an official grazed a defensive back as he was getting to his feet.

I’ve now seen Antonio Brown penalized twice for unsportsmanlike conduct for dancing in the end zone. Call it twerking – he doesn’t – or whatever you’d like, but it’s not unsportsmanlike any more than Josh Norman shooting an imaginary bow on the sideline following an interception.

Norman was penalized for that action. He didn’t go to a knee – another no-no. He simply mimicked shooting a bow and arrow.

That’s excessive?

Has society sunk to that level of political correctness?

Football is a game played with plenty of emotion. It would be impossible to take the emotion out of the game. I heard more than one player say following the Steelers’ 43-14 win over Kansas City that they always play the game angry. They don’t know any other way to do it.

With that emotion can come celebration.

I always liked the fact that Barry Sanders simply tossed the ball to the official following a touchdown. He didn’t want to call any more attention to himself.

At the same time, when I participated in sports, I was a constant bundle of emotions. I wore them on my sleeve. When I scored, I pumped my fist, especially if it was a big shot.

I didn’t do it on purpose. It wasn’t anything that was choreographed. It was an organic reaction.

I’ve spoken many times with Brown about his celebrations. They aren’t scripted. He didn’t plan to do a flip into the end zone or jump onto the goal post last season. That was just him living in the moment.

Brown has reportedly been penalized this season because his post-touchdown celebrations were considered “sexually explicit.” So was doing the Charleston in the 1920s, the Twist in 1960 or doing the Hustle in the 1970s.

Heck, the Tango has been around for more than 150 years and, when done properly, might be the most sexually charged dance you’ll see.

The other thing with Brown being penalized for his dance is that other guys have done the same or nearly the same thing during games and not been penalized.

We also have witnessed other celebrations – guys kicking the ball into the stands or players running out of the field of play – that are supposed to be penalized that have gone unpunished.

It’s all too subjective.

We know excessive celebrations when we see them.

William Gay crawling to the sidelines after an interception for a touchdown or celebrating for what seems like 10 minutes? That’s excessive.

Some of these other instances this season? Eh, I’m not buying it.

@ The Steelers will practice later on this afternoon and we’ll get a better idea of what they are going to look like on their offensive line.

But it’s not likely to be pretty.

Guard Ramon Foster missed last week’s game against Kansas City with a chest injury and right tackle Marcus Gilbert and his replacement, Ryan Harris, are both questionable to play this week against the Jets because of ankle and knee injuries, respectively.

That’s not good news against a very active New York Jets defensive front.

But it’s nothing new for the Steelers, who have grown accustomed to playing at less than full strength.

Tomlin always says that injuries are as much a part of football as blocking and tackling, but when you’re severely limited in the former, it can directly affect your results.

That said, the Steelers will come up with a plan to give them a chance to win Sunday. I wouldn’t be surprised if that includes Maurkice Pouncey at right tackle and B.J. Finney, who played really well last week, at center – particularly if Foster is back.

Even if Foster isn’t back, the Steelers can’t possibly put Chris Hubbard at right tackle. That didn’t look good in the preseason.

Pouncey is their most athletic lineman – witness his jaunt down the field in front of Le’Veon Bell’s 44-yard run against the Chiefs. Finney showed he can play at a high level against the Chiefs and Hubbard is much better suited to play inside.

That is the most that makes the most sense.

@ This stat jumped off the screen at me when I was researching the Jets.

On passes to Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, his top two receivers, New York QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is 25-60. When he targets slot receiver Quincy Enunwa or his completion rate is 23 of 32.

That tells me that Fitzgerald is struggling throwing the ball outside the numbers and down the field.

Marshall averages 15.6 yards per catch and Decker, who likely won’t play this week, averages 21.6. But if you’re completing less than 50 percent of those passes, it’s not a good recipe for success.

I’ve always felt that Fitzgerald is one of those guys who is just good enough to get you beat. He’s proving that to be the case again this season.

He’s a guy that can make all of the throws but also a guy that can’t make all of the throws – if you understand that logic.

Fitzgerald trusts his arm too much, and perhaps now that he’s 33, he hasn’t adjusted to what he can and can’t do.

That would certainly explain his 10 interceptions already this season.

Of course six of those came two weeks ago against Kansas City and he cut that total in half last week against Seattle, so that’s a good thing, right?

@ The Jets are dead last in turnover ratio at minus-11 through four weeks.

That’s bad. To put that into perspective just three teams were worse than that for all of last season.

New York’s roster is talented, but not talented enough to overcome being an average of minus-3 in the turnover battle each week.

@ This game will be another test for the Steelers in tackling after short dumpoff patterns and screens.

Of Fitzpatrick’s 86 completions, 26 have been to running backs Bilal Powell and Matt Forte.