CHARLOTTE — Marcus Allen got called for an egregious unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Carolina Panthers. During the TV timeout, Allen ran over the Panthers’ sideline and got into the faces of multiple Panthers players, including quarterback Sam Darnold.
Steelers' Marcus Allen goes into the Panthers huddle on a timeout, resulting in a Panthers first down when it was 4th & 21 pic.twitter.com/PBt0EWXun3
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) December 18, 2022
Allen ran into the Panthers huddle while they were game-planning. As such, what was a 4th-and-27 for the Panthers turned into a first down. They would eventually get 3 points out of that penalty to make the game 21-10. The play by Allen made no sense, and while the game is chippy, that still does not leave an excuse for coasting the team like that.
Marcus Allen is going to be chewed out by multiple coaches, including Mike Tomlin for the play. Could it see him have repercussions following it? Certainly, as it resulted in a potential momentum shift that allowed the Panthers to at least wind back into the game.
Allen is known for bringing his energy into the Steelers’ locker room. Often, it is used as a way to hype the team up and he can be a positive leader that others follow. Known in the locker room as ‘Chico’, Allen has been a mainstay of the team’s energy. However, the play is inexcusable and should see some backlash from within the building.