Following each game in the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers season, I will highlight the event, or string of events, in the game that was the turning point. Not all turning points will be earth-shattering but are meant to give a unique look at how we arrived at the outcome of the game, one that may be hard to see during the live watch.
Mike Tomlin has said multiple times this season and throughout the years that if you can’t get a yard, you don’t deserve to win. Unfortunately, the Steelers haven’t been so good at converting on third or fourth-down opportunities with one yard to go this year. They had back-to-back opportunities yesterday at the end of the first half and failed. With a chance to take their first lead of the losing streak before halftime, the Steelers turned it over on downs and let the Bengals add to their lead.
Immediately after Beanie Bishop Jr.’s interception to bail out Calvin Austin III’s fumbled punt return, the Steelers were beginning to drive down the field. Pat Freiermuth picked up 20 yards on two receptions, but left the Steelers with one yard to go after a second-down catch for nine yards. Replay assist got involved with under two minutes to go in the half and reversed the first down after initially saying Freiermuth gained enough to convert.
Then came the third-down play — Russell Wilson’s quarterback sneak up the middle. They once again ruled it a first down before replay assist took it away.
Wilson tries to rush through the open gap instead of just riding the double team of Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick in front of him. Akeem Davis-Gaither fills the gap and stuffs Wilson just short of the line to gain. I get looking for the open space, but it’s probably safest to just piggyback off of the clear double team for a yard, making it difficult for any other defender to get a clear shot at him.
Down by three points, on their own 37, Mike Tomlin had a decision to make. Keep in mind that the Steelers were scheduled to get the ball back after halftime. Tomlin wanted to play aggressively and attempt to either tie the game up or take the lead before the break and went for it on 4th and inches.
CB Cam Taylor-Britt, who was lined up on the backside of the play, crashed down behind the line of scrimmage and got just enough of Warren to slow him down. At first, it looked like Warren rolled over the top of Britt to avoid touching the ground to convert, but his rear end barely tapped the turf to down him short.
The way that both teams were aligned, it would have been difficult to prevent Taylor-Britt from doing what he did. It was an athletic play by him, and one that possibly won the Bengals the game.
Here is what I would have done. Run basically the same play, but have Justin Fields in and give him an option to pull that ball if he sees the end man on the line (Taylor-Britt) crashing down. It may have forced him to think twice about crashing down so hard, giving Warren an easy conversion. Or if he did the same thing, Fields pulls it and has a potential large gain to the ride side of the field.
That is exactly the scenario that Fields should be coming on the field. Mike Tomlin said he was “not really” in consideration to be inserted in yesterday’s game despite the offense’s struggles. I would have put Fields in for both the third and fourth-down plays. Good luck preventing them from gaining the one yard with Fields in. The threat of him pulling the ball and running with it changes how the defense has to play those scenarios. He also would have had a better chance of powering through Davis-Gaither’s hit to pick up the yard on that first play.
The Steelers lost by three, and this turnover on downs created at least a three-point swing and possibly more. If the Steelers scored a touchdown or field goal, that is a possible six or 10-point swing.
Hopefully the Steelers consider using Fields in these scenarios in the playoffs.
