Perspective Of An Average Steelers Fan: Pittsburgh’s Putrid Performance

Putrid Performance

The Pittsburgh Steelers delivered a putrid performance for the second time in five days. There is no way to defend or excuse the Steelers losing two games to teams with a combined 4-20 record. The Steelers did make a comeback against the Patriots. Only to put the entire game on the line with a low-percentage long bomb on fourth and two with 2:01 to play.

Steelers fans are very frustrated and upset. Pundits, former Steelers players, and staff calling for Mike Tomlin to be fired. During the game, chants for Mason Rudolph, firing Mike Tomlin, and general booing directed at the team’s performance. Ironic hearing fans calling for Mason Rudolph after booing him for simply stepping onto the field for a preseason game even before taking a snap.

Several times this season, Pittsburgh fans acted with great class when opposing players went down on the field with injuries. Respectful silence, then applause when the player was either able to get up or carted off the field. So, I was embarrassed when large numbers of fans chanted for Mason Rudolph while one of our own Steelers players was down on the field with an injury. Alex Highsmith’s parents were in the stadium to witness this boorish behavior.

Yes. The Steelers coaches and players must perform better on the field. But the same goes for the fans in the stands.

Steelers Offense

The Steelers’ offense provided few bright spots. Mitch Trubisky threw a nice touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson. After failing to capitalize on an interception, the offense scored another touchdown off a blocked punt. Mike Tomlin made a gutsy call to go for it on fourth and one from their own 29-yard line. Trubisky snuck it over to keep a potential game-winning drive going. But ended up punting away a few plays later anyway.

Mitch Trubisky looked like an inexperienced quarterback. His one interception could easily have been three. Several passes to receivers on the sidelines were overthrown out of bounds with no opportunity to bring it in. Then, the long bomb targeting Diontae Johnson on a fourth and two play. I’d have less of an issue if the same play ran on third and two. But just two yards were needed for a first down. And less than 10 yards needed to put the ball within field goal range. Why put the whole game on the line with one low-percentage pass when you had your whole array of goal-line plays to gain two?

Steelers Defense

The defense was gouged by a low-rated offensive unit once again. The Steelers won the toss and deferred. That put the Steelers’ defense on the field against low-regarded Bailey Zappe. New England promptly marched down the field in an 8-play 75-yard drive. A former Pittsburgh Steeler lit up the Steelers for the second week in a row. This time, JuJu Smith-Schuster caught a 37-yard catch with Damontae Kazee covering him. JuJu also caught a 28-yard pass on third down to set up another Patriots touchdown that put them up 21-3.

T.J. Watt was injured on the first play of the game. He returned but obviously was not 100%. Alex Highsmith was injured by a Patriots lineman who hooked him in the neck area. Then Keeanu Benton was hurt by the same lineman who literally tackled him. Neither play was flagged. But perhaps because of the two injuries, an official finally flagged the tackle for pulling a similar hook move on Nick Herbig.

The defense shut out New England in the second half. They forced five punts. And Elandon Roberts tipped a pass that Mykal Walker intercepted and returned to the 16-yard line.

Unfortunately, the offense could not score off of this favorable field position. But the defense held the Patriots and Miles Killebrew blocked a punt to set up a Steelers touchdown and two-point conversion to come within three.

Elandon Roberts starred in the defense. He injured his groin last week and entered the game as questionable. But he played hard, playing 81% of the defensive snaps. In addition to his tipped pass, he sacked Bailey Zappe. But the rest of the defense played lackluster. Bailey Zappe was rarely pressured on his passes. The secondary failed to cover or were defeated by the Patriot receivers too many times.

Special Teams

Special teams are an underappreciated facet of the game where one big play can shift momentum or even decide the game-winner.

I break special teams into three phases: Kickoffs, punting, and scoring (field goals and extra points.) Here is an overview of the special teams play during the game:

KICKOFFS

Chris Boswell kicked off four times. Ty Montgomery returned the third kick 24 yards to the 22-yard line, where Nick Herbig tackled him. Brenden Schooler was penalized for unnecessary roughness pushing the ball back to the 11. The other three kickoffs were all touchbacks.

Chad Ryland kicked off four times. Godwin Igwebuike returned the first New England kickoff 27 yards to the 31-yard line. But he only returned the second-half opening kickoff 15 yards to the 17-yard line.

THE STATS

Advantage Steelers.

PUNTING

Pressley Harvin punted six times, averaging 44.5 yards. Frustratingly, Harvin kicked a short 34-yard punt that went out of bounds at the Patriots 41-yard line. The Patriots scored a touchdown off the favorable field position. He also had a punt touchback that might have pinned New England deep.

Bryce Baringer punted nine times. Calvin Austin muffed the third. But recovered the ball at the 9-yard line. But the big play occurred in the fourth quarter. After Pittsburgh failed to score off an interception, Miles Killebrew blocked the ensuing punt that set up the Steelers’ final score.

THE STATS

*1 blocked by Killebrew downed at NE 26

Advantage Steelers.

SCORING

Chris Boswell kicked a 56-yard field goal and added an extra point. Mitch Trubisky passed to Pat Freiermuth to score the 2-point conversion that put the Steelers within three.

Chad Ryland kicked three extra points.

Although New England scored three touchdowns, Pittsburgh’s special teams have the edge in scoring with six points scored.

THE STATS

Advantage Steelers

YOUR HOT TAKES DURING THE GAME

Thank you, Ross McCorkle, for keeping us up to date on the game’s first and second-half Live Update and Discussion Threads. Steelers Depot respondents contributed 2,017 first-half comments. Respondents added  1,704 more second-half comments.  Here are the top three comments from each half. I don’t know the algorithm used by Disqus, but here is how they stacked it up:

The top three first-half comments:

David Morgan had the best first-half comment with “ben didn’t retire. ben escaped.”

Chris92021 is finished with the coach. “I don’t care if Mike Tomlin wins 2 Super Bowls at Carolina for Tepper. He ain’t ever gonna win another one for us. Let him go.”

Nelsonator762 would have had the best comment of the game. But a Browns fan downvoted his comment: “I always wondered what it felt like to be a browns fan growing up, now I know.“

And a bonus comment by Chad Sanborn that shows the depths of the offense: “Baily Zappe has thrown more TDs in the first half of this game than Pickett has in his last 6 games. That tells you how pathetic we are.“

Second-Half Comments

Treeher doesn’t hear the cavalry coming. “This is how bad we are. We’re calling for a quarterback to get in the game. That hasn’t thrown a pass in 2 years.”

Hyped up Hypocycloid agrees with a pundit. “Wow, I can see what Rich Eisen was saying. We’d be nuts to not want more of this.”

Jim Lahey dumbfounded on the call that decided the game. “Bro why? 4th and 2 do a f*cking slant just ONCE.”

Hope you all enjoy the banter on the live update and discussion threads. At the very least, hope it lets you vent your frustration.

CONCLUSION

The 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers are not a good football team. Just a week ago, the team was seven and four and facing the two easiest teams on their schedule with a combined 4-20 record. Pittsburgh dropped both games. And now face four teams vying for playoff spots. This could be the Steelers first losing season since 2003.

A frustrated fanbase wants to fire the head coach. In fact, I spotted one fan with a preprinted “Fire Mike Tomlin” sign in the stadium. But the Steelers’ performance has done little to quell the restless Steelers Nation. The coaches have not presented schemes that work. The players have not executed plays that might have worked. Some thought the problems were solved with the removal of Matt Canada. But the issues are deeper than one coordinator. And when no single cause for failure is identifiable, the blame shifts to the top. If not by the Steelers ownership, Mike Tomlin is clearly in the hot seat with a large and growing portion of the fanbase.

It’s easy for a fanbase to come together to cheer their team on when they are winning. However, losing brings out their worst attributes as they turn on players and coaches. And then on one another. The Steelers have four more games to salvage what they can from a foundering ship.

For me as an average Steelers fan. I support the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, I will also support any decision that Art Rooney II makes once this season comes to an end. Until that time, I will cheer for the team. That is how I am wired. The Steelers play four more games, and I want them to win all of them. I will cheer for the coach and the players wearing Black and Gold. Win, lose, or draw. I remain a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Your Song Selection

I always like to include a bit of music. You love them Steelers? You abuse it, and you’re gonna lose it. Never thought about tomorrow. Don’t let it slip on from you. The Steelers season slipping away. Let’s help them find the way out of there. Here is Musta Got Lost performed by the J. Geils Band (with their intro).