PITTSBURGH -- The NFL's roughing-the-passer penalties have gotten so rampant that even the quarterbacks are noting the sheer volume.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who got hit on two penalized plays in Monday night's 30-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pointed out NFL viewership could be impacted by the flags.
The game featured four roughing the passer penalties (two by each team), tied for the most in a single game since 2001, according to ESPN's Stats and Information.
"There's a lot of them," Roethlisberger said. "I don't want to criticize the officiating, especially when you're talking about a penalty that helps the quarterback out.