The Steelers not only think linebacker James Harrison has been targeted by National Football League officials; they think he was targeted by the Baltimore Ravens, as well.

Harrison and several Steelers players are upset over a false-start penalty against Ravens guard Chris Chester on an extra point Sunday night that, they say, wasn't as harmless as it might appear.

Harrison said he thinks Chester was deliberately trying to hit him or perhaps even injure him because Chester fired out on the play -- something offensive linemen are not taught to do on extra points or field goals.

"Of course it was deliberate," Harrison said today in the Steelers locker room. "There's no way that happens on an extra point because [offensive linemen] don't shoot out. It's obvious it was blatant. It was on purpose."

Asked if it was a cheap shot, Harrison said, "Yeah it's cheap, but when it comes down to it, it's only a 5-yard penalty, they move back to the 7 and re-kick. It's not going to hurt them."

"It was a dirty play," said inside linebacker James Farrior.

It is not known if the Steelers protested the play to the NFL office. League spokesman Greg Aiello said he didn't know if NFL officials are investigating the incident.

The play occurred after the Ravens' only touchdown -- a 14-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Anquan Boldin -- in the first quarter of the Steelers' 13-10 victory.

Harrison said he ran over Chester on a play sometime before the extra point and admitted he ran him over on another play after that.

"I think it was a designed play," said defensive end Brett Keisel, who is on the extra-point defense. "He just took off and kept driving him. I do think it was intentional."

Keisel said it was as though the Ravens wanted to "take him down," referring to Harrison.

"It ticked us all off," Keisel said. "First you get scored on, but, when you do something like that deliberately, we just kept fighting through and we won the game. We had the last laugh."

Guard/tackle Trai Essex, who is on the Steelers' extra-point and field-goal units, said offensive linemen are taught to hold their position and not lunge because it creates gaps in their blocking wall.

"Don't fire out," Essex said. "That opens up gaps."