Giovani Bernard Got Destroyed by Ryan Shazier on Helmet Hit, Setting Off a Skirmish on the Field
By Jason Lisk
Giovani Bernard caught a pass and as he turned, got creamed by Ryan Shazier with the crown of his helmet into Bernard’s helmet. It wasn’t flagged as a defenseless receiver, because Bernard was deemed to have established as a runner. The hit drew the ire of Bernard’s teammate Jeremy Hill, who came on and got into a skirmish with several Steelers players.
To add insult to injury, Mike Tomlin challenged that it was a fumble with a clear recovery and won. While Bernard might not have been a receiver any more, it could still have been flagged as unnecessary roughness by using the crown of helmet. From the rulebook: