The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their second game of the season on Sunday night as they fell to the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 20-17. The Cowboys were able to take the lead with just under 30 seconds remaining in the game, which made it hard for the Steelers to capture a victory. The offense got off to a slow start and had trouble executing throughout the contest, particularly on third downs. The Steelers gave up some points, but ultimately the loss falls on the offense as they could not sustain drives following key takeaways.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields looks to pass against the Dallas Cowboys in 2024.
The Steelers struggled to keep drives alive and only managed to convert on third downs three times throughout the game. They had 12 attempts, meaning they only got to the line to gain on 25 percent of their chances. Justin Fields was asked about this during his postgame press conference, and he focused on penalties holding the offense back, along with a lack of execution.
"Penalties make it hard. Especially when you're in third and manageable, third and short. We get those penalties and it makes it third and 10, third and long, whatever it is. Of course that is going to make it harder. There was one third down where the offensive line protected well, I got the snap and the ball was wet, Calvin [Austin] was open over the middle. That's on nobody but me at the end of the day. I mean, but I think the reoccurring thing is just shooting ourselves in the foot. Penalties, false starts, stuff like that. Just comes down to execution."
Fields took some ownership for the lack of success on third down, which is what a team wants to see from a starting quarterback, but he also made sure to point out the pre-snap penalties. These are things that kill a team, and force drives to stall out. It is hard to win a game when the offense isn't on the field, and penalties like that make it difficult to sustain meaningful drives.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields working out during Organized Team Activities.
Pittsburgh committed eight total penalties on the night, but just two of them were from the offense. One was a false start on tight end Darnell Washington, and the other was a false start on running back Jonathan Ward. The offense played a relatively clean game when it comes to penalties, but the false starts came at critical times and took the offense off of the field.
The penalty on Ward came on third down and the Steelers needed just three yards for a first; the false start turned it into a third and eight and Fields took a sack, and Pittsburgh was forced to punt.
The penalty issues have gotten better for the offense as the season has gone along, but they still are killing the team. Possession downs are critical in football and winning those downs plays a big factor in who will win any given game.
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Steelers quarterback Justin Fields warms up on the field as the team gets ready to play a 2024 preseason game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Justin Fields Was Out-Dueled On Sunday Night
The Steelers faced one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the league on Sunday night in Dak Prescott, and he out-dueled Fields and Pittsburgh's offense. Fields completed just 15 passes for 131 yards, and also threw two touchdowns in the second half. Prescott contributed 352 yards for the Cowboys' offense and matched Fields in the touchdown department. He also had two interceptions, but he was able to do what Fields couldn't - keep his offense on the field on third down.
Fields' performance left a lot to be desired on Sunday night, and there is more work to do if he wants to lock up the starting quarterback job as Russell Wilson continues to get healthier. Overall, Fields has played well throughout his first five starts with the Steelers, but Wilson will probably be given a chance to regain his starting job.
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