Darius Slay likened the intense moment that unfolded during the Philadelphia Eagles’ clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers to a scene straight out of a hockey game. The tension escalated to a boiling point when Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin, visibly irate, sharply directed an official to back off. The Eagles managed to secure a 27-13 victory over the Steelers on Sunday, but the game was briefly marred by a skirmish near the Eagles’ home team tunnel. This altercation occurred with just four minutes remaining in the first quarter, with the Eagles holding a narrow 3-0 lead.
The catalyst for the heated exchange was Steelers running back Najee Harris catching a short pass from Russell Wilson and advancing 7 yards to the Philadelphia 4-yard line. The situation escalated when Eagles’ cornerback Darius Slay took exception to Steelers’ tight end Darnell Washington persisting with a block beyond the end zone. In response, Slay threw a right cross at Washington’s helmet, a move that went unnoticed by the referees and the replay officials reviewing the play.
Referee Alan Eck later clarified to a pool reporter, “No punches were observed by the Eagles on the field. Since penalties were flagged, it allowed New York to review the play as well. The video evidence did not show any punches thrown by the Philadelphia Eagles.”
While the punch by Slay went unseen, the officials did identify Washington for unnecessary roughness. Additionally, Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III was penalized for his involvement in the ensuing scuffle, which ultimately players on the field diffused without any intervention from coaches or teammates on either bench.
Reacting to the chaotic scene, Austin explained, “If I see a bunch of Eagles surrounding my teammate, I’m going to step in to defend him.” Despite being one of the smaller players on the field at 5-foot-9 and 162 pounds, Austin humorously suggested that his size might have made him a more visible target for the officials.
Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and Steelers offensive tackle Broderick Jones were also entangled in the commotion. Washington, reflecting on his role in the incident, maintained, “I was just playing through the whistle, doing my job. Maybe I held the block a bit longer than I should have, but I didn’t do anything excessive.”
Following a discussion among the officials, it was determined that both penalties were on the offense. The Eagles opted to accept Austin’s penalty, which pushed the Steelers back 15 yards. In a moment captured by FOX broadcast cameras, Tomlin was seen expressing his discontent with the calls to the official.
In a post-game interview, Tomlin opted not to elaborate on the sequence of events, stating, “I’ll let them explain that sequence. Why should I explain it?” When pressed about the explanation he received, Tomlin curtly responded, “Not a sufficient one.”
Just one play prior to the altercation, the Steelers
