With just over five minutes to play on Thursday night, the Steelers faced fourth and three from their own 38, after gaining 18 yards while trailing by three points.
Patriots linebacker Jalani Tavai jumped offside. The Steelers believed they’d get a fresh set of downs from their own 43.
But the call was a false start, on Pittsburgh long snapper Christian Kuntz.
His head moved up before the snap. While the action seemed to prompt Tavai to move early, it did not seem to be sudden or abrupt. It did seem to be no different than what many long snappers routinely do before snapping the ball.
As J.J. Watt said on X, “That is how every single long snapper in the NFL moves their head.”
After the game, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the play.
“I was given an explanation,” Tomlin said. “I don’t know that I agree with it, but I was given an explanation.”
No one asked Tomlin what the explanation was. It would be nice to have the officials available to share their explanation. It would be nice if officials could be questioned after every game regarding all calls made and not made. Although pool reports, with one reporter asking questions of usually one person (typically, the referee or senior V.P. of officiating Walt Anderson), happen from time to time, the officials should be expected to defend their work after every game, the same as players and coaches do.
This is one of the things the league should consider as part of a broader overhaul of officiating. Why protect them from fair scrutiny for potential mistakes? Why not give them a chance to say why it wasn’t a mistake?
The lack of transparency combined with the inconsistency of certain calls combined with the ongoing spread of legalized gambling becomes a toxic stew that the NFL will ignore until it creates a major controversy.
Last night’s call was the latest reminder that the reckoning is coming. The NFL can either wait for it to happen and act surprised when it does, or it can be proactive (for a change) about a problem that continues to lurk in plain sight.