Bengals coach confirms suspicion regarding game-changing play, and his explanation simply isn’t good enough

Cincinnati Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons confirmed that he called for a punt block attempt during the fourth quarter of the team's Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. On the play, defensive end Cedric Johnson was flagged for running into punter Cameron Johnston, extending Pittsburgh's drive. The Steelers capitalized on the penalty, which concluded with quarterback Aaron Rodgers throwing his third touchdown pass of the game.

Simmons addressed the decision with reporters on Monday, stating he felt confident the unit could pressure the punter despite Cincinnati's defense having failed to force a punt until the final quarter. The costly penalty was followed by additional special teams errors later in the contest, including a muffed punt by Ke'Shawn Williams that PJ Jules was unable to recover.