The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped another winnable game on Thursday night. They fell to the Cleveland Browns 29-17 after leading the game at halftime, 14-13. The offense looked like it was playing better for thirty minutes, but then stumbled in the second half and landed below 20 points for the second consecutive game. Mitch Trubisky spoke to the press after the game and summed up the performance before taking questions:
“We are getting there, but it’s just not where we need to be to get a victory,” said Trubisky. “I thought the first half, we made some steps in the right direction, second half just wasn’t good enough.”
Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
Trubisky at the half was 9-13 for 103 yards and he rushed for the go-ahead touchdown on one of the few RPO’s the Steelers have run the first three weeks of the season. He threw the ball down the field repeatedly on play-action passes and found rookie George Pickens for what is likely to be the catch of the year. The first drive of the second half got off to a promising start, but after a huge shovel pass to Jaylen Warren, which looked like it was going to convert a 2nd and 14 at midfield into a red zone opportunity, the drive stalled when the play was called back after an illegal man downfield penalty.
Jared Wickerham/Pittsburgh Steelers
That drive, with the wind at their back, ended in a punt and then the Browns marched down the field to take the lead on a 34-yard field goal for good. Trubisky was asked what he thought the difference was in the second half offensive performance:
“A little bit of rhythm,” Trubisky added. “We just didn’t hit on the plays we need to; we had some crucial plays in the second half. After that, if we get those plays, it might have been a different story. We just didn’t hit on them. We gotta go watch the film and see how we get better.”
The penalty on the shovel pass was a huge letdown for the offense, however on the very next drive on a 3rd and 3, Diontae Johnson had beaten Denzel Ward and Trubisky dropped a perfect pass into him that he failed to come up with. Johnson has been extremely reliable the last two seasons after drops plagued him during his rookie season. That play killed the Steelers ability to answer the lead-changing score and by the time the offense got moving again, they were down 23-14.
“Inconsistency, yeah,” Trubisky continued. “Just not hitting those plays we needed. We hit some the first half, that’s why we scored 14 points. 3 points in the second half isn’t going to do it for us.”
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Mitch Trubisky (10) and rookie wide receiver, George Pickens (14) celebrate a touchdown. Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
Trubisky played as well as he is capable of playing in the first half. The offense had him rolling and with the exception of a couple errant throws before half-time, he was confident and riding high. The offense stalled in the second half and the worse it got, the more Trubisky shrank from the moment. The big opportunity to get back in the game was when the Steelers had the ball with under 10 minutes to go in the game and again with just under 6 minutes. Both drives ended in punts.
“We took some shots downfield,” Trubisky concludes. “I have to throw a better ball and they have to come down with it. They made some great catches; we can make some more so it was good. It is something we can improve with and keep doing. I feel good in my routine, it felt good tonight, we just have to better in the second half. We’ve just got to be brutally honest about the film and see where we are at overall.”
The Steelers at 1-2 will have plenty of time to review tonight’s performance as they get 10 days off before hosting a surprising New York Jets team who beat the Browns in Week 2, 31-30 behind Joe Flacco. It is early in the season, but the game is a must win prior to visiting Buffalo in Week 5. The Steelers dropped to 0-5 without T.J. Watt and he is still weeks away from returning to the field for the black and gold. The defense is struggling without Watt to generate pressure, but they have been on the field more than any other unit in the NFL and it is beginning to show.
Trubisky got a second chance to be a franchise quarterback with the Steelers and Mike Tomlin stated at his press conference he is not going to make a change at this point. In 10 days, Trubisky might be getting his last chance in front of what will be a very pro Kenny Pickett crowd. Trubisky is hard not to root for, but if he does not turn his season around against the Jets, it will be impossible because he will likely be holding a clipboard.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Is it a case of darkest before the dawn for Pittsburgh? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
