Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward watches the second quarter of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Acrisure Field.
Tensions flared during the Week 11 AFC North game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals. Steelers linebacker Jalen Ramsey and Bengals running back Ja’Marr Chase had several heated exchanges, culminating in the fourth quarter.
Shortly after their third attempt to go downfield, the tension between Ramsey and Chase escalated from verbal exchanges to physical contact as both grabbed each other’s face masks. Both were assessed personal fouls and warned that if they did it again, they could be ejected from the game.
Faced with a fourth-and-1 situation on the ensuing snap, Cincinnati decided to halt the game rather than continue playing. At that point, Ramsey and Chase got into another verbal altercation. On-field video shows Chase spitting at Ramsey, who responded by grabbing his facemask and punching him, an offense that results in an ejection in the NFL.
The altercation required intervention from Pittsburgh defensive tackle Yahya Black and director of player development Darrel Young to prevent it from escalating.
Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward criticized Chase’s behavior, per Joe Rutter of TribLive:
“Two players, but one went too far. Our player was penalized, but if you’re going to spit on another guy, you don’t belong in the game. Hopefully the NFL will handle it.”
Chase denied any wrongdoing after the game, however. The NFL has confirmed that it is reviewing the Chase-Ramsey incident, with many fans calling for disciplinary action. A similar precedent occurred in the season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia defensive end Jalen Carter was ejected shortly before kickoff for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, which the league deemed to be essentially a one-game suspension.
Losing their top cornerbacks didn’t stop Pittsburgh’s defense from shining, with Chase and Tee Higgins having just six catches for a combined 93 yards and one touchdown, compared to 22 catches for 257 yards and two touchdowns in their previous meeting in Week 7.
Steelers safety Kyle Dugger contributed a 73-yard interception return, while linebacker James Pierre caught a dropped ball and returned it 33 yards for a score. Kenneth Gainwell, coming in for the injured Jaylen Warren, had two more touchdown catches, including a 5-yard score late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Mason Rudolph, replacing the injured Aaron Rodgers, completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown, finishing with a 118.5 passing accuracy rating.
The Steelers (6-4) will visit the Chicago Bears (7-3) next Sunday.
