Shannon Sharpe raises questions on controversial officiating during Titans vs Steelers TNF game

Shannon Sharpe stays close to the game, which made him a household name. Locking in on NFL games helps him prepare for his statements on ESPN’s "First Take" and on the "Club Shay Shay" podcast. At times, he shares his thoughts on X, formerly Twitter.

That happened during the Week 9 Thursday Night Football game between the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He believed that a roughing the passer call on Titans defensive end Jeffery Simmons has no merit.

---

Shannon Sharpe believes Jeffery Simmons did nothing wrong

With a little less than four minutes left in the first half, Simmons had a free path to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. The second-year player released the ball when Simmons lunged for a sack. However, game officials ruled it as roughing the passer, to Simmons’ surprise, as seen in this video:

That call had Shannon Sharpe tweeting:

“I’m sorry, but that’s not roughing the passer”

The NFL’s roughing the passer rule has been in place since 1940, more than two decades before the first Super Bowl. Then and now, the rule states that defensive players cannot hit the quarterback late or bring their total weight to the play-caller's body after the hit.

But while there are apparent violations of this penalty, its subjective nature fosters debate among fans and NFL experts. Hence, some people will agree with Shannon Sharpe’s take, while some football fans won’t.

Roughing the passer is a consequential penalty because the offense gets 15 yards, and they start with a fresh set of downs. Therefore, it could change a game’s complexion, especially if the scoring gap between the two teams is close.

---

Steelers defeat Titans to go 5-3

That drive featuring the roughing the passer call that Shannon Sharpe questioned resulted in a Chris Boswell field goal for the Steelers. The Tennessee Titans converted another field goal to lead by three at halftime.

However, the Steelers' defense allowed the Titans three points in the second half to earn a 20-16 victory. They also had four sacks and one interception on rookie quarterback Will Levis. Najee Harris had a rushing touchdown, while Diontae Johnson had a scoring catch for Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Derrick Henry had the lone touchdown for the Titans. This defeat brings Tennessee to 3-5 and a share of the AFC South’s cellar with the Indianapolis Colts. They can bounce back in Week 10 when they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Conversely, the Steelers improved to 5-3, bringing them closer to AFC North leaders Baltimore Ravens (6-2). They will host the Green Bay Packers next week.