The Pittsburgh Steelers’ hopes of getting back into the playoff hunt hit a bump in the road after losing to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday 16-14. The offense put up only two TDs on the game after QB Kenny Pickett got knocked out of the game with a concussion and mitch Trubisky came into the game and proceeded to throw three INTs in the contest, ending several promising drives by the offense. The defense didn’t do any better in this one as the Ravens rushed for 215 yards as a team, gashing the Steelers on the ground throughout the game.
One of Trubisky’s INT’s came on a pass that looked to be intended for TE Pat Freiermuth, but WR Steven Sims run over the middle of the field in-front of Freiermuth, taking more focus to the middle of the field where LB Roquan Smith picked off the pass in the red zone and put together a nice return.
Plenty took to Twitter immediately after the play blaming Sims for running the wrong route which took the coverage over toward Freiermuth, keeping Trubisky from receiving blame for his first INT of the game.
However, when Trubisky was asked after the game if Sims ran the right route and went to the correct spot, Trubisky took ownership and credited Sims for doing his job on that play, at least from what he remembered without going back and checking the tape.
“Yeah, he was,” Trubisky answered about Sims being in the right spot on his first INT to the media Sunday on video from the team’s YouTube Channel. “I’ll have to look at the depth on film and if there’s any details that go along with it. But Pat [Freiermuth] got jammed on the line, so that’s why it took a little longer. So, within the timing to play, I just got to check it down and not force that.”
Notice how Trubisky said he wasn’t certain that Sims was without blame on the play and will go back to watch the play over to check but did mention that Freiermuth got delayed coming off the LOS, throwing off the timing of the play. Trubisky took ownership of the mistake, stating that he should have checked it down rather than forcing the ball into a jumbled mess that Roquan Smith came away with for the INT.
Regardless of it was in-fact Trubisky’s fault or Sims’ fault, Pittsburgh sealed their fate in this game, throwing three INTs and had a field goal blocked by Calais Campbell, having four offensive drives result in turnovers on five possessions to end the first half and begin the second until Pittsburgh’s final drive which resulted in a score. The offense has struggled to play a full game all season in 2022, and this Sunday’s matchup at home against the Ravens was just another example of the Steelers shooting themselves in the foot in a close game where the offense couldn’t step up in the waiting moments.
