Ugly And Inexcusable In Pittsburgh
Dec 3, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Allen Robinson II (11) is tackled after a catch by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams (21) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
After giving fans a jolt of hope with their most inspired win of the season last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers were completely outclassed by the cellar-dwelling Arizona Cardinals in every facet of the game. Yes, starting quarterback Kenny Pickett was injured early on. However, the Steelers were completely flat and eventually just gave up.
Two separate rain delays made the game very choppy, but there was nothing inconsistent about the Cardinals’ domination on the sloppy field.
In a matchup that favored Pittsburgh in every aspect, Arizona played with a confidence that would have you thinking they were angling for the fifth seed in the NFC playoff race. The Cardinals were more physical and had the Steelers on their heels for the majority of the contest.
This clip shows the lack of focus and awareness Pittsburgh displayed all game. Trailing by two touchdowns with just over four minutes left, Diontae Johnson thought this was the time to break out this celebration.
This is such loser behavior… we’re losing to a two win team and buddy is celebrating like we won the Super Bowl. Selfish players. Terrible look for Mike Tomlin and Diontae Johnson pic.twitter.com/XIcFVCmyFs
— Khan Artist Enthusiast (@sadsteelersguy2) December 3, 2023
The offense once again turned back into a pumpkin after a standout performance. The red zone became a wasteland as they were forced to either settle for field goals or were stopped on downs, to the tune of 1/3 inside the 20.
Pittsburgh did accumulate more total yards than their opponents from the desert, but a lot of those yards came after the game was already decided.
Third-down conversions were again a problem for this struggling offense, which went 4/11. When Canada was in charge, you could tell yourself (and everyone else) the problem was the scheme. On Sunday, it was purely execution.
Just a week removed from Pittsburgh’s best, most well-rounded offensive performance in ages, the middle of the field went barren again and they utterly lacked explosive plays. For a unit that was looking to build off the previous contest, it seems like it’s back to the drawing board
The Other side off the. ball was equally ugly. It’s not often you can say a Steelers defense was pushed around. Arizona seemed to make that a priority and took the fight directly to Pittsburgh.
Arizona’s offense controlled the line of scrimmage. The Cardinals were able to run the football for 150 yards and absolutely beat the Steelers into submission. In his homecoming, James Connor had 105 yards and dominated in the second half.
Elandon Roberts left the game hurt, but make no mistake, Arizona had the Pittsburgh defense’s number. They were 10/17 on third down and seemed to be a step ahead all night.
The defining moment of the game on the defensive side was right before the half. Arizona drove 99 yards for a score to take a 10-3 lead at the half. That seemed to not only deflate the defense but also the team.
It seems like every year Pittsburgh has one of these games and quite frankly, it’s unacceptable. Head coach Mike Tomlin will always take the blame, but when does it stop is the real question.
Mike Tomlin postgame presser after Week 13 home loss to Cardinals #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/Kqp039JHH4
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) December 3, 2023
This was a clear example of playing down to your competition. Pittsburg looked like a team that was not prepared to play. That falls 100% on Tomlin. To be out-toughed at home against a team that was 2-10 on the season is inexcusable. There was too much on the line for this type of letdown. You can cite injuries, but every team deals with injuries. This was just a lack of focus from a team that might have been feeling themselves after last week’s win.
The good news is, Pittsburgh doesn’t have time to pout. They are right back at it on Thursday night. The best thing for them to do is lick their wounds and come out swinging against a moribund New England Patriots squad that looks every bit as beatable as Arizona — although we saw how that worked out. If they don’t bounce back, it will be two embarrassing losses at the worst time of the year.
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