You Make The Call is a weekly feature from Steel City Underground which will challenge fans to examine officiating call(s) made in the previous Pittsburgh Steelers game. The goal is not to whine about calls, as we cannot change them long after the fact! Instead, this column is an opportunity to open discussion where fans can debate on and better educate themselves about the rules of the game.

Folks, I’m not sure where to begin this week’s column. We have two pass interference calls, both made against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns, which I believe need to be highlighted.

And both calls are very difficult to argue in the “for” category of being pass interference.

Exhibit A finds the Baltimore Ravens in a 2nd-and-9 from the Pittsburgh 37. The Steelers trail 24-20, as Ravens QB Joe Flacco heaves a pass downfield.

Most of you may be aware of Rule 8, Section 5 of the NFL Rule Book. It’s the section which deals with pass interference. Obviously, we are well aware that pretty much any contact by a defender could be called, but the same goes for the offense. A clear byline in this section states:

Initiating contact with an opponent by shoving or pushing off, thus creating separation.

Another note also indicates:

If there is any question whether player contact is incidental, the ruling should be no interference.

It’s clear from this still frame that Ravens WR Mike Wallace grabs the inside of Burns’ shoulder pads before the corner falls to the ground.

Whether or not that falls specifically under the section of “pass interference” as an offensive infraction is debatable.

Acts that do not occur more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage are not pass interference, but could be offensive or defensive holding

What isn’t up for debate is that Wallace is the player who committed the offense in his instance. Burn’s penalty cost the Steelers 31 yards and put the Ravens six yards from the goal line.

They would score on the next play.

But that wasn’t all. Of course, the Flacco-to-Wallace “jump ball” connection would strike again, this time in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh closed to within two points of the Ravens with a little over eight minutes remaining in the game. From the 45-yard line, Baltimore faced a 2nd-and-14 when the Ravens quarterback heaved a pass that looked like it was intended for Row K in Section 131 of Heinz Field.

The NFL rules have no clear “uncatchable ball” clause within the pass interference section, but according to this play, they should. To see how egregious this call really was, and how it was nowhere near the field of play, one has to see the coaches film:

While in both circumstances there’s contact by both Burns and Wallace, each is “hand fighting”. In the first example, Wallace clearly holds Burns, but on this play, each is jostling for position while the ball sails far out of bounds.

Here is what the rules say about pass interference (truncated for brevity):

• Contact by a player who is not playing the ball that restricts the opponent’s opportunity to make the catch;
• Grabbing an opponent’s arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass;
• Extending an arm across the body of an opponent, thus restricting his ability to catch a pass, and regardless of whether the player committing such act is playing the ball;

My question to the Steelers faithful is this: do you feel either of these plays was a penalty?

Regardless of your thoughts, we can likely agree Artie Burns was doing a heck of a job on Sunday night, and got the wrong end of at least one, if not two calls in the game. Do you agree or disagree? I’d love to hear your comments, because the calls (and non-calls) in this game truly had me feeling like a homer with my biased blinders on!