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11/24 14:17 CST For the sagging Pittsburgh Steelers, the devil is in the details
For the sagging Pittsburgh Steelers, the devil is in the details
By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) --- Mike Tomlin thrives living on the margins. The Pittsburgh
Steelers coach loves it when things get "thick," to borrow one of his favorite
words.
Things have rarely been murkier during Tomlin's 19-year tenure than they are
right now for the Steelers (6-5).
Pittsburgh's once-comfortable AFC North lead is gone following its fourth loss
in six games, this one a 31-28 defeat in Chicago on Sunday that ceded the top
spot in the division to Baltimore.
Yes, there are still half a dozen weeks to go. Yes, a pair of meetings with the
Ravens loom. And yes, Tomlin anticipates having Aaron Rodgers back on Sunday
when Buffalo visits after the NFL's oldest active player and his broken left
wrist sat out against the Bears.
Still, the formula that Tomlin and the Steelers have long relied on during
their successful, if not always spectacular (not for the past decade-plus
anyway), partnership appears to have hit a rocky patch that may be difficult to
escape.
Whenever things have gotten sideways in the past, Tomlin's players have talked
about doing the little things right often enough so that the big things follow
suit.
Yet Tomlin said a lot when he offered the following eight words while trying to
describe how the Steelers (6-5) lost for the 13th time in their 14 visits to
Chicago.
"It's just tight when it's good on good."
For years, Pittsburgh has leaned into that tightness. The coach who frequently
says he doesn't seek comfort has embraced that discomfort, confident his team
will respond.
Of late, it hasn't. And the tiny, minute details that the Steelers believe make
all the difference have not been corrected.
Three moments from yet another winless day in the Windy City laid Pittsburgh's
inattentiveness to detail bare for all to see.
On fourth-and-1 in Chicago territory in the second quarter, Pittsburgh called
for a "tush push," with tight end Connor Heyward lining up behind center rather
than opting for a field goal well within kicker Chris Boswell's range.
At the snap, Heyward paused and was stopped for no gain before getting into an
animated discussion with running back Kenneth Gainwell. The Bears took over and
drove for a tying touchdown.
Tomlin later said if a team can't gain a yard, it doesn't deserve to win.
Maybe, but the reality is the Steelers didn't execute the play correctly. That
became obvious when faced with the same situation later in the half.
This time, Heyward paused at the snap and handed the ball to Gainwell, who
raced around the right end for a 55-yard gain.
The Bears were threatening to take the lead in the third quarter when they
faced a third-and-6 at the Pittsburgh 25. Two Steelers errors quickly followed.
Rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer was flagged for offside, a penalty
Chicago happily declined because the free play ended with Caleb Williams
finding a wide-open D.J. Moore for a touchdown without a defender anywhere near
him, thanks to a mix-up in coverage.
Pittsburgh was frantically trying to get into position for a tying field goal
in the final minutes when quarterback Mason Rudolph tucked the ball and darted
22 yards to midfield.
The play was called back for an illegal formation when neither Gainwell nor
wide receiver Calvin Austin III --- both of whom were lined up to the right ---
failed to step up to the line of scrimmage before the snap. Pittsburgh ended up
punting.
Three plays. Three avoidable miscues. Three momentum swings. Little margin for
error going forward.
"We have a lot of things to fix quickly," outside linebacker T.J. Watt said.
The clock is ticking.
What's working The running back tandem of Gainwell and Jaylen Warren. The duo combined for 190 yards of total offense and two touchdowns against Chicago a week after rolling up 172 yards in a win over Cincinnati. Considering the lack of explosion coming from the passing game, and with little evidence that an explosion is coming anytime soon, Warren and Gainwell could and probably should see an even greater workload down the stretch.
What needs help Getting off the field on third down. The Steelers have allowed opponents to convert nearly 43% of their third downs, following the Bears' 7-of-13 success rate on Sunday.
Stock up The odds of landing a franchise quarterback in next year's draft. Rodgers' solid start briefly spurred talk locally that maybe the team should explore his willingness to return in 2026 at age 42. When Rudolph --- one of two quarterbacks on the roster under contract next season --- guided the offense so deftly against the Bengals, he looked as if someone who could be a bridge if Pittsburgh wanted to turn its eyes toward the 2027 QB draft class instead. So much for that.
Stock down Optimism. The Steelers were bullish on their prospects after their 4-1 start. While Tomlin talks frequently about wanting his group to be a team "on the rise" as Thanksgiving gives way to Christmas, Pittsburgh instead remains wildly inconsistent. The only team in the AFC with multiple wins over division leaders (New England and Indianapolis) also looks highly gettable on a weekly basis, regardless of the quality of the opponent.
Injuries CB Joey Porter Jr. went down with a hip flexor and did not return. ... LT Broderick Jones left late in the game with a stinger. ... WR DK Metcalf gamely limped his way through the second half after twisting an ankle. ... OLB Alex Highsmith has missed the past two games with a pectoral injury but may have a chance to return against the Bills.
Key number 2 --- number of times the Steelers have had a quarterback go over 300 yards passing since the start of the 2021 season.
Next steps Try to do something they've only done once so far in five tries: beat Josh Allen. Pittsburgh's lone victory against the Bills since Allen became the starter was a Week 1 stunner in Buffalo to open the 2021 season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
What's working The running back tandem of Gainwell and Jaylen Warren. The duo combined for 190 yards of total offense and two touchdowns against Chicago a week after rolling up 172 yards in a win over Cincinnati. Considering the lack of explosion coming from the passing game, and with little evidence that an explosion is coming anytime soon, Warren and Gainwell could and probably should see an even greater workload down the stretch.
What needs help Getting off the field on third down. The Steelers have allowed opponents to convert nearly 43% of their third downs, following the Bears' 7-of-13 success rate on Sunday.
Stock up The odds of landing a franchise quarterback in next year's draft. Rodgers' solid start briefly spurred talk locally that maybe the team should explore his willingness to return in 2026 at age 42. When Rudolph --- one of two quarterbacks on the roster under contract next season --- guided the offense so deftly against the Bengals, he looked as if someone who could be a bridge if Pittsburgh wanted to turn its eyes toward the 2027 QB draft class instead. So much for that.
Stock down Optimism. The Steelers were bullish on their prospects after their 4-1 start. While Tomlin talks frequently about wanting his group to be a team "on the rise" as Thanksgiving gives way to Christmas, Pittsburgh instead remains wildly inconsistent. The only team in the AFC with multiple wins over division leaders (New England and Indianapolis) also looks highly gettable on a weekly basis, regardless of the quality of the opponent.
Injuries CB Joey Porter Jr. went down with a hip flexor and did not return. ... LT Broderick Jones left late in the game with a stinger. ... WR DK Metcalf gamely limped his way through the second half after twisting an ankle. ... OLB Alex Highsmith has missed the past two games with a pectoral injury but may have a chance to return against the Bills.
Key number 2 --- number of times the Steelers have had a quarterback go over 300 yards passing since the start of the 2021 season.
Next steps Try to do something they've only done once so far in five tries: beat Josh Allen. Pittsburgh's lone victory against the Bills since Allen became the starter was a Week 1 stunner in Buffalo to open the 2021 season. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
