Throughout Sunday’s ugly 24-10 loss to the woeful Arizona Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense seemingly couldn’t stay out of its own way.
From some bad illegal formation penalties to botched snaps and failing to gain a single yard on a 4th down from the 1-yard line, Pittsburgh just couldn’t stay out of its own way.
Backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who entered the game in the second quarter after Kenny Pickett left with an ankle injury, stated after the loss that the Steelers have to clean up the non-talent issues offensively.
That means being able to communicate clearly, line up correctly pre-snap, and do the routine things routinely.
“For me, it’s simple: We got clean up the non-talent issues getting lined up, the penalties, and just playing like 11 guys as one,” Trubisky said to reporters Sunday following the loss, according to video via the Steelers’ Twitter page.
In the loss, the Steelers had multiple illegal formation penalties, had at least three botched snaps from center Mason Cole — one of which wound up as a game-changing fumble that the Cardinals recovered — and went just 1-for-3 in the red zone, failing to gain a yard in a key spot.
The illegal formation penalties are the most mind-numbing. It’s Week 13. You can’t be lining up incorrectly at this point in the season. It’s basic, fundamental stuff. Yet the Steelers can’t seem to stay out of their own way.
Trubisky’s comment echoed what he said a few weeks ago about everyone getting on the same page, everyone being at fault and needing to play better as a unit offensively. There was some turmoil Sunday after losing Pickett and then failing on 4th and 1 the next play, but there were no excuses after that.
The fumble was a killer on the first drive of the second half after a woeful snap from center Mason Cole, and then a missed field goal from Chris Boswell really was the final nail in the coffin.
Though the Steelers punched in a touchdown late in the game when Trubisky found wide receiver Diontae Johnson for a 2-yard score, there’s nothing positive to take from this game. It was a dumpster fire in all three phases. It’s not a talent issue, though. That’s the most frustrating part.
