The Steelers defense is upset about illegal blocks by the Baltimore Ravens in their game last Sunday.

"You can get hurt from an illegal chop block, but I guess it isn't an illegal chop block if they don't call it," [Casey] Hampton said ...

A cut block is a block below the waist when a player is not engaged with another player. It is illegal to cut from behind. A chop block occurs when a player is engaged with another player and is hit below the waist.

"Some of the things they were doing were questionable rules wise and dangerous," nose tackle Chris Hoke said.

In case you're wondering what the Steelers are talking about, Behind The Steel Curtain has a great FanPost showing screen caps of the Ravens illegally chop-blocking Hampton.

No one involved is using the illegal blocks as an excuse for the Steelers' poor performance (although they probably could, to a degree, given Ray Rice's performance against a run defense that's usually very tough). Rather, it's a matter of safety. It would be easy for a player to wind up with a serious ankle or knee injury as a result of plays like this. Let's hope the referees start watching the Ravens for this.