Steelers' Patrick Queen Responds to Commanders' John Bates Calling Out 'Dirty' Play

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen is firing back at Washington Commanders tight end John Bates, who called him out for "trying to do something dirty to me" on a play during Sunday's game where the two got tangled up.

Queen took to social media to make it clear that it was Bates who escalated the situation and he responded in kind:

For his part, Bates said he was simply continuing his aggressive style of play by finishing through the whistle.

"I would say something like that has never really happened to me. Like I said, I was playing through the whistle. It's just the way I play," Bates told reporters. "If you go back and watch the film, in my opinion, it was him probably trying to do something dirty to me. Things happen. It is what it is."

Queen finished with a team-high seven tackles and had two tackles for loss as the Steelers earned a 28-27 win, their fourth victory in a row to improve their record to 7-2.

After spending the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, Queen bolted to sign with the AFC North-rival Steelers in free agency this past offseason. He's made an immediate impact with his new team, ranking second with 62 total tackles while adding three passes defended through nine games.

Pittsburgh has emerged as one of the top contenders in the AFC during its recent hot streak. The team will be looking to keep its momentum going and solidify its hold on first place in the division when it meets the Ravens (7-3) in an exciting rivalry game on Sunday.