Joe Sargent/Getty Images Noah Fant of the Denver Broncos gets tackled by Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field on September 20, 2020.
According to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the NFL has fined two members of the Pittsburgh Steelers for personal foul penalties called against them during last weekend’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was fined $11,619 for his horse collar tackle on Broncos tight end Noah Fant, which occurred at 9:07 of the third quarter.
Cornerback Mike Hilton was fined $15,000 for his roughing-the-passer penalty on Broncos quarterback Jeff Driskel, which occurred near the end of the third quarter.
Hilton’s 15-yard penalty was especially costly, as Denver scored a touchdown on its next play, a 20-yard pass from Driskel to Fant, which helped Denver cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 17-14 (following a successful two-point conversion).
Both defenders were impactful during the Broncos game; Fitzpatrick made six tackles (four solo) and Hilton had eight tackles plus a sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
Fitzpatrick and Hilton have a history of being fined together in the same game. Both were assessed $3,507 fines (for fighting) after last year’s week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns, which ended with the Myles Garret helmet swinging incident.
J.J. from the “Better Brother Gazette”
Looking ahead to Sunday: The game between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field will be the second NFL game in two years that will include three brothers, something that previously happened in the 1920s.
On Friday, J.J. Watt, who stars for the Texans, took the opportunity to have a little fun with his brothers, T.J. and Derek (who play for the Steelers), while they were taking questions from the media.
In the middle of the conference call, “Justin James of the Better Brother Gazette” asked about the “fantastic gym” where T.J. and Derek worked out during the offseason. Of course, J.J. was referring to his own home gym, and T.J. said “we’re just very grateful that he let us use his facilities.”
These guys 😂
@_TJWatt & @DerekWatt34 got a surprise visit from a certain Houston “media member” during their morning press conference.
“It was kind of a don’t make a mess, clean up after yourselves and you get all the perks you want,” added Derek. “The fridge was always stocked.”
Houston Texans Injury, Roster News
According to Aaron Wilson, who covers the Texans for the Houston Chronicle, Texans inside linebacker Peter Kalambayi did not make the trip to Pittsburgh with his teammates. Kalambayi will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury.
Texans downgraded linebacker Peter Kalambayi to out and he isn’t traveling with the team to Pittsburgh for game against Steelers. Second game in a row he is out with strained hamstring.
Meanwhile, wide receiver Kenny Stills is considered “questionable” for the game with an illness. Running back Duke Johnson is also questionable with an ankle injury.
J.J. Watt did not practice on Friday (groin injury) after being a full participant in practice on Thursday and a limited participant on Wednesday.
On Saturday the Texans elevated running back C.J. Prosise from the practice squad to their active roster, perhaps an indicator that Johnson will not play on Sunday. He missed last weekend’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Follow the Heavy on Steelers Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
READ NEXT: Steelers Add 5 Players to Hall of Honor, Including Troy Polamalu