Tempers flared during the Week 11 AFC North clash between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, as tensions boiled over between Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Throughout the game, Ramsey and Chase engaged in multiple intense confrontations, which peaked in the fourth quarter. Shortly after a third-down attempt, their verbal exchange escalated to physical contact when both players grabbed each other’s face masks. As a result, both were hit with personal foul penalties and received warnings that any repeat could lead to ejection from the game.

Facing a critical fourth-and-1 on the next snap, Cincinnati chose to call a timeout rather than run the play. During this moment, Ramsey and Chase had another verbal confrontation. Field-level footage revealed that Chase spat at Ramsey, who responded by grabbing Chase’s face mask and punching him — an act that leads to automatic ejection in the NFL.

The altercation required intervention from Pittsburgh defensive tackle Yahya Black and director of player development Darrel Young to prevent further escalation.

Following the incident, Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward criticized Chase’s conduct. Speaking to TribLive’s Joe Rutter, Heyward said, “Two competitors, but one guy took it too far. Our guy got penalized, but if you’re going to spit on a guy, you don’t belong in the game. Hopefully the NFL handles it.” However, Chase denied any wrongdoing after the game.

The NFL has confirmed it is reviewing the Chase-Ramsey incident, with many fans calling for disciplinary action.

A similar precedent occurred earlier this season during the opening matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected before the game’s first snap for spitting on Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. The league treated that ejection as effectively serving a one-game suspension.

Despite losing their top cornerback, Pittsburgh’s defense stood tall, limiting Chase and Tee Higgins to six receptions for 93 yards and one touchdown. This was a stark contrast to their earlier meeting in Week 7, where the Bengals duo combined for 22 catches, 257 yards, and two touchdowns.

Steelers safety Kyle Dugger made a significant impact with a 73-yard interception return, while cornerback James Pierre recovered a fumble and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown.

On offense, Kenneth Gainwell stepped in for an injured Jaylen Warren and added two touchdown receptions, including a crucial 5-yard score late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Mason Rudolph, replacing an injured Aaron Rodgers, completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown, finishing the game with a 118.5 passer rating.

The Steelers (6-4) will look to carry this momentum as they travel to face the Chicago Bears (7-3) next Sunday.
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