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Steelers Notebook: Harrison calls for Seymour to be suspended

In a game in which the Steelers set a club record for most penalty yards in one contest, it was a flagrant penalty on Oakland
that will draw the attention from the NFL offices this week.

In the second quarter, Raiders defensive lineman Richard Seymour sucker-punched Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after Roethlisberger threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to receiver Emmanuel Sanders.

Steelers
linebacker James Harrison, who has seen his share of flags this season and has been fined on numerous occasions by the NFL, believes the league should suspend Seymour for what he did to Roethlisberger.

"I don't see why not," Harrison said. "They're trying to suspend guys for hits when that's within the whistles, some hits that guys can't even stop from doing. It's an adjustment that a receiver makes to what you are about to do to him, and you end up hitting helmet to helmet. You're talking about suspending a guy for that? You tell me what the next step is for a guy who blatantly, outside the play, it's already thrown, and a guy is going to celebrate with his teammates and you punch him in the face."

Seymour claimed he reacted that way because Roethlisberger approached him from behind.

"Well, first of all, I thought I let my teammates down," Seymour told the Contra Costa Times of California. "You never want to do anything to hurt the team. That's first and foremost. It was a lot of ongoing, and you're out there to protect yourself. It's still no excuse. I'm not sure exactly what happened on the play. I just turned around, and he just ran up on me quick. It was just natural reaction."

Field to be resodded
Jeff Reed isn't the only one complaining about Heinz Field.

According to a report on the NFL jersey s
Network Sunday, the Steelers' past two opponents, the Raiders and Patriots, complained to the league about the Heinz Field playing surface.

"The Patriots complained about field conditions last week and Raiders coaches have already registered a complaint in the pre-game here today at Heinz Field, according to a league source,'' the network reported. "The portion of the field between the hash marks between the 30s is pocked with soft spots and areas where the sod easily comes out."

Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly complained about the surface after the game.

"The field is absolutely atrocious," Kelly said. "They have to do something about that. They got big divots like they're playing golf out there. One time my shoe came off because I stepped in a hole."

Harrison wasn't complaining about the surface, but he did explain why he stayed down on the field and had to be attended to by trainers late in the game.

"The middle of that field is nothing [but] a sand pit, so when I hit the ground it all went into my eyes," he said.

The game Sunday was the last NFL game on that particular grass. The grass will be removed and new sod laid down starting Sunday.

Heinz Field will play host to the West Virginia-Pitt game Friday and four WPIAL championship games Saturday before the re-sodding takes place.