If the Pittsburgh Steelers are to make the playoffs then it's very important to beat Jake Browning and the Cincinnati Bengals today. Which seems pretty easy on paper before one realizes that Mike Tomlin's team is basically the Spider-Man meme with its similarly dressed college equivalent, the Iowa Hawkeyes. Trailing 7-3 in the second quarter, TJ Watt gifted his AFC North rivals with 15 free yards on top of a 25-yard completion after he took some creative liberties and walloped Browning long after the quarterback released the ball.
Even one of the best defensive players in the NFL can't have a legitimate defense for this because it's quite egregious. The hit has some people accusing Watt of being a dirty player all over the social media sites — a strong accusation that may be partly true. Just last month he punched Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers during a play.
At halftime the Bengals have a 7-3 lead on a day where it's been very advantageous to bet the under. There's a non-zero chance this is the final score as well.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as TJ Watt Was Flagged for a Ridiculously Late Hit on Jake Browning.