When you have the lead with under two minutes left in the game, you shouldn’t do this to a vulnerable receiver.
Then, when the refs call a personal foul for unnecessary roughness on your teammate, you shouldn’t argue the point and get an additional fifteen-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct tacked on, meaning that you and your buddy just handed the Steelers 30 yards from your own 47-yard-line to your own 17-yard-line, giving their field-goal kicker an easy 35-yard kick to take the lead with 0:14 seconds left. After the kick your team couldn’t score, so you pretty much gave the Steelers the game.
Not smart, Bengals.
The Seahawks attempted a similar series of plays. Two big linemen shoved the Teddy Bridgewater to the ground for absolutely no reason. Tacked 15 yards onto a short play. Then, Kam Chancelor jumped in front of the receiver but whiffed. Allowing them to get to the 12 yard line. If he had tackled him instead they were well outside field goal range. Three runs burn up 90 seconds of precious clock. 26 seconds left in the game and the kicker shanks it. All 4 home teams lost this weekend for the same reason – they played like crap.