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The Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Houston Texans during Week 4 seemed to go downhill fast. The Steelers were just never able to establish the run game, which in turn threw the passing game off. Quarterback Kenny Pickett had "happy feet" again and was taking sacks. While on the other side of the ball, the Steelers and their sack-happy defense couldn't get any pressure on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Fans everywhere went from stunned to furious and apparently they weren't the only ones.
Thomas Shea / USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers had no answer for rookie C.J. Stroud during their Week 4 matchup, despite Stroud having been sacked 11 times coming into the game.
On a recent episode of their podcast, The Ramon Foster Show, which airs on DK Pittsburgh Sports, former Steelers offensive guard Ramon Foster and his co-host, reporter Dejan Kovacevic, broke down the game. While they cited all of the same complaints everyone else has from firing Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada, to the way the Steelers did not stick with the run game, they did tell one story that others did not.
They discussed the way the Steelers just did not seem to have an answer for a Texans team that is supposed to be in a "rebuilding" phase. Foster said that they saw Pickett reverting to some of the dangerous behaviors he had as a rookie, but he also added that the "big guys" up front, meaning the offensive line, were not doing their part. At one point, according to Kovacevic, Head Coach Mike Tomlin ripped into the line and may have broken a league rule to do it.
"They (referring to the offensive line) were terrible. Coach [Tomlin] absolutely eviscerated them. At one point, on the sideline, he shooed away an NFL film crew that was nearby, just told them to get out of there. Which I'm sure NFL Films will take up with the Steelers later in the week because they have rights to that stuff. He just said, 'Get out of here' and then he just let them have it. It didn't do anything."
Foster agreed with Kovacevic that the offensive line did not improve as the game went on. He was critical of the fact that they seemed to give up on the run game as soon as they started to find success with it. Foster said it made no sense to him how the offense had two successful runs with running back Najee Harris, but decided to go out of the shotgun, where they had just about zero success, on a critical 4th-and-1. Coach Tomlin later explained in his weekly Tuesday presser that he felt the team didn't have the ideal personnel at that point in the game for a short yardage situation. Starting right guard James Daniels was already out, starting left tackle Dan Moore Jr. left the contest earlier in the game, and starting tight end Pat Freiermuth exited the game with an injury earlier in the day as well.
Karl Rosser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers running back Najee Harris tries to evade a Houston Texans tackler during their Week 4 contest in 2023.
According to Kovaceivc, the offensive line blamed Canada for the failures that happened. He said they were not disputing their part in the loss or making excuses, but they indicated that developing a run game takes some time, they need a rhythm. They told him as soon as they started to find their rhythm the plan changed.
"They said it would sure be nice if once they got on a little bit of a roll with the running game that they would leave it alone instead of just panicking at the first sign of anything that goes wrong," said Kovacevic.
The Steelers offense struggled greatly against the Texans defense. Pickett threw for only 114 yards with one interception. He was injured on that 4th-and-1 play that Foster spoke of, leaving the game late in the third quarter.
Steelers Might Have Changes On The Horizon
After the 30-6 loss, Tomlin made no secret of the fact that he was angry. He spoke to the media at his postgame press conference in his usual controlled and matter-of-fact manner. It was clear that he was frustrated and recognized that the entire team was outcoached.
"Changes regarding -- hell yeah, we gotta make some changes. Man, that was an ugly product we put out there today."
Foster agreed, he said that the Texans' first-year head coach, DeMeco Ryans seemed to have the Steelers' number. Ryans, who played for the Texans starting in 2006, has said before how much he admires Tomlin. Both are defensive-minded coaches and this time, the student was able to beat the master.
"He out Mike Tomlin'd Mike Tomlin this past weekend," lamented Foster.
The Steelers have one more game before the bye during Week 6. They will play their archnemesis the Baltimore Ravens, during Week 5 in Pittsburgh. Both teams are fraught with injuries, but any game against the Ravens can prove to be a tough one. The two teams are known for their smash-mouth style and fans can always count on a low-scoring, nerve-wracking game.
That low-scoring, nerve-wracking part is exactly what has fans worried about this matchup. So far this season, the Steelers offense has not really been able to move the ball. In addition to pride, this game also has some ranking ramifications, the Ravens at 3-1 currently lead the AFC North. However, if the Steelers are able to win this game, they will regain the first-place spot.
Patrick Smith | Getty Images
Steelers' Kenny Pickett led a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter vs. the Baltimore Ravens in 2022.
What do you think went wrong during Week 4 against the Texans? Who do you blame most for the loss? Click to comment below.
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