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By Cole Sullivan
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The Pittsburgh Steelers picked up a big-time divisional victory on Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals, dominating the second half to win 34-12 and improve to 6-4 on the season.
Pittsburgh’s defense suffocated Cincinnati, forcing two second-half turnovers that both turned into touchdowns. However, star pass-rusher T.J. Watt could be facing a potential punishment from the NFL for his first-half hit on Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco.
While chasing down Flacco, Watt delivered a heavy hit just after the ball was released and landed with most of his body weight on the 41-year-old quarterback — an infraction the NFL has emphasized all season.
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Watt was flagged for roughing the passer, and if the league remains consistent with previous rulings, he could be in line for a $17,389 fine. Video of the incident is below.
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Minnesota Vikings pass- rusher Dallas Turner was fined the same amount last week for a similar “body weight” violation against Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.
Aside from that hit and batting down a few passes — something he’s excelled at throughout his career — Watt was largely quiet statistically, recording just one tackle.
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The NFL could review the play and determine that Flacco landed awkwardly while moving to the side, meaning Watt didn’t intentionally put his full body weight on him. Still, being flagged on the play usually results in a fine, as the league continues to make player safety—especially for quarterbacks—a top priority.
Cincinnati was also flagged twice for roughing the passer on Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers on the same drive to end the second quarter, one of which led to Rodgers tweaking his wrist and being ruled out for the remainder of the game.
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