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The Tennessee Titans took a loss in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game they probably should have won. If you ask Titans DB Kevin Byard, he feels the blame should fall upon the officials. Via Turron Davenport, after the game, Byard was heated when talking to the media, going as far as to say the “majority of calls in this game was complete BS.”
Kevin Byard on the penalties the #Titans had vs. #Steelers. pic.twitter.com/yCRONdDgtk
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) December 19, 2021
Byard started his comment by stating that he doesn't care if he gets fined, before quickly rattling off a few specific calls that he felt were unjust. Byard thought the defense played a solid game, but he felt a few unfair penalties helped the Steelers keep a key drive alive for a late touchdown, which ultimately sealed the Titans' fate.
Whether or not the call was just, it's hard to truly blame the officials for the loss. For one, Tennessee's offense went completely stagnant in the second half, failing to pick up any points. Additionally, Mike Vrabel's decision to go for it on fourth down in the red zone backfired tremendously. Picking up any points in that situation could have drastically altered the outcome of the game, but Byard opted to vent his anger with the officiating crew.
Byard was absolutely right about the defense's strong performance, however. The Titans limited Ben Roethlisberger to just 148 passing yards and just one rushing touchdown, while RB Najee Harris managed just 18 yards on 12 carries in a dismal outing. Despite their lack of offensive production, Chris Boswell's four field goals — and some help from the officials, if you ask Byard — helped lift the Steelers to victory.
