Steelers Player Makes Serious Accusations Toward Refs After Loss to Jaguars: ‘They Wanted Them to Win’

Frustrated after Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson accused the referees of deliberately tipping the game in the Jaguars’ favor.

Some people, like Johnson, believed the game was riddled with inconsistent calls from the refs. One user on Twitter even pointed out similar plays from both defenses that were officiating differently.

Penalty vs. Not a Penalty 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/5Yl9vAb5uW

— Benstonium (@Benstonium) October 29, 2023

Due to plays like that, Johnson didn’t hold back on his criticism of the officiating crew.

“They were killing us the whole game,” Johnson said to media in the locker room. “Same refs we had in training camp; but at the end of the day, it’s not on them. We can’t keep complaining about the refs. Like coach (Mike Tomlin) said, we can’t worry about the refs or whatever.

“But everybody’s different. I didn’t like the refs today. They must’ve gotten paid good today or something. That field goal, that hurt us coming into the half. We needed that. We would’ve been tied, and we would’ve gotten the ball back right then again. Probably would’ve scored. Who knows. That field goal hurt us.”

When asked about specific calls, Johnson levied even more serious accusations.

“They were calling some stupid stuff,” he continued. “They should get fined for making terrible calls. That’s how pissed I am because they cost us the game. I don’t care what nobody says. They cost us the game. Yeah, I gotta make plays. Those two plays, those two catches… But that doesn’t define the whole game.”

Finally, Johnson went as far as claiming the refs wanted the Jaguars to win.

“Man, they wanted them to win,” he said. “Everything was in their favor. They were getting every little call. But it is what it is. Like I said, I’m moving on from it. I’m ready for Thursday.”

Both the Steelers and the Jaguars had six penalties accepted against them Sunday, totaling 72 and 52 yards, respectively. For his strong comments, Johnson will likely be fined by the NFL.

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