With the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, one phrase will be repeated by all the Monday talk shows.
Trap game.
The idea that the 2-10 Cardinals didn’t have a shot to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh, something they hadn’t done since Chuck Noll’s first year coaching in 1969. That Pittsburgh, whose offense found traction in the prior game against the Cincinnati Bengals, would be able to – worst-case scenario – pull out a close victory.
Instead, Pittsburgh played its worst game of the season. Sure, there were blowout losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. But those are at least a pair of playoff teams. Instead, the weather offered more resistance than the Steelers in a twice-delayed game due to storms.
Speaking with reporters following the game, the Steelers agreed on two things. They played a miserable game. And that they didn’t overlook Arizona.
“No,” Tomlin said when asked if there was any chance the Steelers took the Cardinals lightly, via the team website. “We look at ourselves in the quality of our player or the lack thereof. It wasn’t there today.”
Pittsburgh was as quality as two-month-old milk. They beat themselves with turnovers, penalties, and overall sloppy play. They couldn’t get the right number of personnel on the field, once having just 10 offensive players on the field, OT Chukwuma Okorafor the missing man until late in the play clock, and being forced to burn a timeout. Defensively, they were flagged for having 12 men on the field, one of their nine penalties on the day. They couldn’t align properly, twice flagged for illegal formation. And they couldn’t snap the ball, causing a failed third down (finishing the day 4-of-12 on possession downs) and one turnover that led to a two-score Cardinals lead.
Despite the list of signs that Pittsburgh came into this one with less detail as usual, T.J. Watt doesn’t think the opponent had anything to do with Steelers beating Steelers.
“I feel like team’s ready every week,” Watt said when asked if they were prepared to play, via the team’s website.
Pittsburgh’s defense was better than its offense though that remains a low bar. Still, Arizona converted 10 of its last 12 third downs, including moving the sticks time and time again on its 99-yard touchdown drive to close the first half. It’s only the second such drive Pittsburgh has allowed since 2001.
QB Mitch Trubisky relieved an injured Kenny Pickett in the first half. He finished with a solid stat line, going 11-of-17 for 117 yards and a touchdown, though much of that came in essentially garbage time. The team’s starter Thursday night against the New England Patriots if Pickett can’t play, Trubisky thought the Steelers had a good week of work.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked via Steelers.com if the locker room overlooked Arizona. “This is the NFL. Anybody could beat anybody if you don’t bring your best stuff. And if you didn’t know that you learned it today. I felt like the guys were focused and locked in throughout the week.”
Regardless of the reason, the Steelers have to lick their wounds and get ready for a quick turnaround. If anyone in that locker room thought they wouldn’t lose to a 2-10 team, they have another one coming to town Thursday. The New England Patriots are now 2-10 after losing 6-0 to the Los Angeles Chargers earlier Sunday. For Pittsburgh, it becomes a must-win game not only to improve its record to 8-5 but also because back-to-back losses to two NFL teams with some of the worst records would show the Steelers simply aren’t deserving of postseason play.
