When its the edge defender on an outside run and the offensive lineman doesn't just give a little tug for leverage or to slow the defender down but actually keeps yanking him back as the runner goes by so that you can obviously see the defender flailing to get over to make the tackle but being impeded?
Probably a good number of snaps is my guess.
Ok so water under the bridge and this doesn't change anything of course. But it took me four plays. On Pittsburgh's fourth play they ran the ball and there were no less than FOUR guys holding Patriots' players with either full grabs of the jerseys outside the pads or arms totally hooked around defenders. Fourth play, FOUR guys holding. No flag. Here are some stills from that play.
Runner takes the handoff. Their left tackle immediately grabs Flowers' jersey. Tackle's left hand is outside the pad, and he's got hold of it.
Hightower (blocked by #71) begins to slide inside as he sees that's where the runner is going. Watch what #71 does next to prevent Hightower from getting where he wants to go.
Uses his left arm to totally hook Hightower - just like Cannon was called for on that HUGE hold late in the game. Meanwhile, the left tackle still has a full handful of Flowers' jersey and begins tugging him away from the lane as Flowers reacts to the ballcarrier.
Meanwhile, Guy, who had gotten good penetration and had forced the runner inside, turned to make a play. But the right guard said, uh, no.
So at this point there are three guys holding. The left tackle on Flowers, as his left hand has a total handful of Flowers' jersey outside the pads. The right tackle hooking Hightower. And the right guard, who is using his right arm, hooked around Guy's neck for crying out loud.
And then there is one more at the end for good measure.
As McCourty tries to fill in, look what the tight end is doing to him. He's on his side, his left arm wrapped around McCourty's waist, and his right arm (which you can't see) is hooked around McCourty's chest.
So on the fourth play of the game, no less than four Steelers were committing holding penalties equal to, or worse, than what the Patriots were called for. No flag. Four guys. No flag.
The point isn't anything other than that this kind of thing happens on every play, yet it was the Patriots who got flagged for it, not the Steelers. And yes, it had a pretty large impact on the game.