The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the 2022 season on a four-game winning streak that nearly saw them make an improbable playoff run. The streak started against the Carolina Panthers and despite jumping out to a big lead, a bizarre penalty that outraged virtually every Steelers observer and fan nearly derailed the run before it started.
A taunting penalty in the second half of the game by the Steelers opened the door for the Panthers to get back in the game. Marcus Allen was obliterated on social media and the only one who did not pile on was Mike Tomlin.
Miles Killebrew is the special teams captain for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he joined the PM Team W/Poni & Mueller on Wednesday and shed light on what may have been the most publicized taunting penalty in Steelers' history.
“I have a very specific view of what happened on that play,” Killebrew began. “I was actually standing right next to Marcus Allen when that happened on the far sideline. It was a timeout, it was a dead ball. I know the coach over there, I played against him in Chicago, and he called him over there, he said ‘2-7 come over here real quick.'”
Allen has been on the Steelers' special teams since they picked him in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has only started three games during his career in Pittsburgh on defense and until this penalty was seen as a valuable player on special teams. After the penalty, Allen was inactive except for the Christmas Eve game against the Las Vegas Raiders for the remainder of the season. Killebrew drops an absolute bombshell about the controversial play. Was Allen framed?
“Marcus got over there, it was one of those things of what are you doing here,” Killebrew shockingly revealed. “The ref saw it. Marcus has a dark visor it looks like he’s over there talking trash. He’s over there saying ‘hey, what’s up you called me over here.’ It was a finesse.”
If it is true this was masterful gamesmanship by the Carolina Panthers to get back into a game they desperately needed. It would be on the level of Joey Porter baiting the Cincinnati Bengals into shoving him and putting the Steelers in field goal range during a playoff game. The Steelers might have just tipped their hats after discussing it on the sideline.
“I saw it happen, I’m not signing any witness statements,” Killebrew concluded. “I saw it live. If he told me that and I didn’t see it, I wouldn’t have believed him. I told Danny.”
Steelers' Marcus Allen Has Worn Out His Welcome In Pittsburgh After Embarrassing Incident Vs Panthers
The Steelers media went after Allen hard after the game. Coach Tomlin, who it turns out had more information than everyone else, handled the situation correctly. He could have easily shifted the blame to the Panthers’ special team coach Chris Tabor, but he did not. Either for respect of the gamesmanship or because he wasn’t certain anyone would believe the story. The choice to stay silent was difficult but demonstrated the classy persona he is famous for having.
The Allen incident was held up as a prime example of Tomlin losing control of the locker room and allowing a supposed bad seed to run freely. Danny Smith, the Steelers special teams coach also came under heavy fire this season and this play was one his critics pointed out as an example of his ineptitude.
Allen isn’t blameless in the incident, he should have known better than to go to the opponents’ sideline, but it certainly paints a different picture of the free agent to be. Allen was not going to be a high priority for the Steelers to resign in free agency, but he certainly isn’t the pariah he was painted to be by the incident.
Tomlin elected to retain virtually the entire coaching staff including the embattled Matt Canada. Canada draws the ire of nearly every Steelers fan, but Smith has also been a target this season. Chris Boswell had a shaky season, Pressley Harvin III has not performed to expectations and the coverage teams, who in fairness were affected by injuries, were not a shining spot on a 9-8 team.
This revelation by Miles Killebrew might be the catalyst to turn down the burners on the hot seat that Smith is sitting on, heading into 2023. It should also give Allen and his agent a legitimate talking point to draw interest from teams who may have been scared off by the bizarre penalty.
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