CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Steelers walked out of Bank of America Stadium with a 24-16 victory over the Panthers that was more lopsided than the score might let on.
However, a key reason the score was closer than it needed to be came on an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that nearly derailed all of the Steelers' momentum.
At the end of the third quarter, the Steelers were preparing for the Panthers to punt the ball away on fourth and 27 after back-to-back sacks by Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward. They would have gotten the ball back and tried to add to their 21-7 lead, and any score would have likely put the game away much earlier than it played out.
But during the break in-between quarters, Marcus Allen made his way over to the Panthers' huddle near their sideline and forced his way in to say something to the opposition:
The referees immediately caught it and flagged Allen for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Panthers 15 free yards and a fresh set of downs. Carolina capitalized on Allen's mental lapse and got three points out of it, making it a 21-10 game.
"Obviously, we could have played smarter in some instances," Mike Tomlin said after the game. "Penalties are not how we choose to live, particularly some of the 15-yard variety, so hopefully there are opportunities to learn from that."
When Tomlin was asked specifically about the significance of the penalty, he chose to respond to what it ultimately cost the team.
"It's three points," he said.
When Allen spoke with reporters after the game, he lamented his actions and what it ultimately cost his team.
"I guess it was just too much passion, going back and forth," Allen said. "I should have started moving closer to my teammates to get away from them."
Though the Panthers ended up closing the gap to 21-13 later in the quarter, the Steelers managed to eat enough clock and add a field goal of their own to secure the victory. But, Allen played no role in any of that. He only hurt his team Sunday.
Allen has played exclusively as a special teams player this season, carrying a $2.5-million cap hit. The former Nittany Lion is known for his high energy, but there is simply no excuse for potentially costing your team the game with a penalty that is beyond avoidable.
