There were, technically, four fumbles during Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, two on either side, and all of them involving the quarterback-center exchange. Of the four, three did not go the Steelers’ way in an untimely reversal of fortune.
As you might recall reading somewhat recently, the Steelers had been one of the luckiest teams in the league thus far during the 2023 season, particularly as it pertained to fumble recoveries. Only three teams at the time, through the first 10 weeks of the season, had been more fortunate having the ball bounce their way.
Not so on Sunday against the Cardinals. The Steelers dealt with two botched snaps from C Mason Cole, one per quarterback. Kenny Pickett was able to recover his with some effort, the only loose ball that went the Steelers’ way, but it still resulted in him being tackled for a loss.
Mitch Trubisky was not nearly as lucky. While he was also brought down by the defense as a result of his efforts to secure the football, he failed to do so. As he got his hands on the ball, he was struck in such a way that resulted in him losing possession. That led to a touchdown drive for the Cardinals that broke the game wide open, suddenly a 17-3 ball game in a contest in which neither team did much scoring.
Late in the third quarter, however, the Cardinals put the ball on the ground twice in a four-play span, unfortunately managing to recover each time. The first came on 2nd and 6 from the 39. DL Keeanu Benton drove the center back into QB Kyler Murray, knocking the ball out, but RB James Conner recovered for just a two-yard loss.
Two plays after Murray scrambled for a third-down conversion, he too was the victim of an aborted snap that officially goes down as a fumble on his part. WR Rondale Moore was able to recover that one for just a three-yard loss, Murray converting on 3rd and 12 with a 19-yard completion.
They nearly had yet another touchdown four plays later, saved only by an offensive holding call on what otherwise would have been a 33-yard score by Moore over CB Patrick Peterson. They ultimately punted, pinning the Steelers at their own 4 with a 14-point lead.
Pittsburgh went three and out, punting from the 9. A facemask penalty on S Miles Killebrew on the ensuing return gave the Cardinals the ball on the Steelers’ 33, which they traversed in just four plays for their third touchdown.
What happens if Trubisky recovers that fumble? What if the ball Benton forced to be knocked loose was recovered by the defense? How much could this game have gone differently? The Steelers have a winning record only because of their successful turnover margin, now 0-3 on the year when they lose the turnover battle. A little more luck with the loose balls and perhaps things wouldn’t have unraveled so dramatically, but we’ll never know.
