Winners and losers from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 24-10 disaster of a loss against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon. This week will be…fun.
(it’s gonna suck)
WINNERS
Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren – If there’s one thing the Steelers did well, and probably didn’t do enough of, it was running the football. Arizona came into this game with a weak rushing defense and that was evident early with Pittsburgh’s top two backs finding running room on nearly every carry. Arguably, the team passed too often on second down instead of sticking with the ground attack. But when they ran it, they ran it well, and the Steelers ended with 130 yards on the ground.
George Pickens – A nice performance by Pickens, who put the Steelers in field goal range on their opening possession thanks to a 38-yard grab off play-action. In the second half, he made a fantastic hands catch along the sideline, though the drive ended in a Chris Boswell miss. Easily his best game in weeks. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the rest of the offense.
T.J. Watt/Alex Highsmith – Arizona had little answer for the Steelers’ top two EDGE rushers. Those two made plays chasing the run, containing RB James Conner early, while putting the heat on Kyler Murray. Highsmith used a great ghost move to beat LT D.J. Humphries for a sack in the first half while Watt added to his season total a little later on. Watt also had a pass deflection as the line did a nice job getting their hands up in throwing lanes, a point of emphasis in recent weeks facing backup quarterbacks looking to get the ball out quickly.
Watt battled a painful-looking right ankle injury in the fourth quarter but finished the game.
LOSERS
Mike Tomlin – You can’t have this type of performance and not put the head coach on here. Just a miserable performance. I don’t subscribe to the “trap game” idea but whatever you want to point to, this team came out flat. It’s one of the worst performances in franchise history and right up there with as any as Tomlin ever led. They’ll get to quickly burn this tape and move on to the Patriots game Thursday, but the Steelers are a team that lives on the edge of just barely winning. And they fell off the cliff today.
Mykal Walker – Walker was picked on the moment Elandon Roberts left the game for good. TE Trey McBride went after him and QB Kyler Murray repeatedly looked his way on third down, hitting him again and again on the Cardinals’ 99-yard touchdown drive to close the first half. Walker also crucially missed a tackle on a 3rd-and-6 run by RB Michael Carter earlier in the drive. He ended the day by getting stiff-armed and knocked down by James Conner on an official game-sealing run.
Pittsburgh may explore other options next week starting with Blake Martinez, who was inactive for a second straight game Sunday.
Defensive Adjustments – Or lack thereof. McBride was the source of the Cardinals’ passing game and it took far too long for the Steelers to adjust. They didn’t put FS Minkah Fitzpatrick on him until after McBride caught pass after pass, including a touchdown, to cap the first half. On the score, S Damontae Kazee got matched up against McBride and was boxed out. This falls on Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin for being far too late to change things up.
Fundamentals – As sloppy of a game as you’ll see, and it started before the heaviest of the rains came down. They couldn’t get 11 on the field, OT Chukwuma Okorafor running to the huddle late, forcing the team to burn a timeout. Twice, they illegally aligned, the tackle not covered up, negating positive running plays. Once is bad enough. To do it twice? Unacceptable.
They couldn’t snap the ball with two miscues, one ruining a third down, the other resulting in a turnover that the Cardinals put in the end zone. Steelers beating Steelers on steroids. Completely out of sorts. Complete disaster.
Broderick Jones – Pass protection has been weaker for Jones than his run blocking and that was clear today. Jones can get top-heavy and lunge, putting his head into the block and losing the corner. That happened at least twice day, struggling with the plucky OLB Dennis Gardeck, a former UDFA.
Red Zone Play – Pittsburgh continues to be unable to finish drives. After going 1-of-4 last week, they began Sunday 0-for-2. A fourth-down stuff at the goal line while Chris Boswell had to kick a field goal to take air out of the team’s otherwise promising opening drive. It’s a real and continual issue.
Miles Killebrew – Three, count ’em three, penalties on Kilebrew today. He ran into the returner on a fair catch, he was called for a facemask, and he had a running into the punter that was declined (and not entirely his fault). Still, an ugly day for the team’s special teams captain as the Cardinals dominated the field-position battle.
Mason Cole – As mentioned above, two poor snaps from Cole proved costly. One snap went off Cole’s backside, causing Pickett to have to basically fall on the ball. The second was low to Trubisky and in the slick conditions, couldn’t be hauled in. Arizona recovered and James Conner punched the ball into the end zone a few plays later. Cole also lost ground on the team’s failed 4th and goal play at the Cardinals’ 1, a critical moment of this one that kept things tied at three. Center will be high on the team’s list of needs in the offseason. It might be at the top.
