The Pittsburgh Steelers looked like they had turned the corner offensively for 30 minutes against the Cincinnati Bengals. The offense was balanced and impressive in the first half with Kenny Pickett finding George Pickens for a touchdown and Najee Harris broke an impressive touchdown run. The Steelers entered the locker room with a 20 to 17 lead and all the momentum in the world. They left Acrisure Stadium with a 37-30 defeat and the offense took a giant leap backwards during the last 30 minutes of the game.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Both the Steelers and Bengals defenses made significant adjustments at halftime, but Joe Burrow and the defending AFC Champions made plays when they needed to make them. Matt Canada and Pickett turned drive after drive into missed opportunities during the early evening on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Pickett missed a boatload of throws on third and long and whenever the Steelers got any momentum on offense, they foolishly called trick plays that were stuffed or missed altogether.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers had plenty of opportunities in the second half to win the game. After a miraculous interception by T.J. Watt gave the Steelers the ball deep in Bengals territory trailing 24-20, Pickett overthrew Zach Gentry on first and 10 and then watched Harris plow into the line. After a third and long miss, they settled for a field goal. The seam throws to Gentry, with Pat Freiermuth still recovering from an Eli Apple uncalled leg whip on the sideline, didn’t fool anyone. It was closer to an interception than a clever completion.
After giving up a matching field goal drive, the black and gold once again took the field with a chance to move the ball, and they didn’t. However, they managed to pin the Bengals deep and after a fantastic stand by the defense, the Steelers started in Bengals territory trailing 27-23. Harris broke his best run of the second half and Pittsburgh was in business. They promptly flubbed the opportunity with a bizarre flea flicker call, a holding penalty on 2nd and 10 and three plays later, they were punting to the Bengals.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Burrow and the Bengals took advantage of a deflated defense and the Steelers fell behind 34-23 after allowing a long touchdown drive. After some garbage time passing and the second rushing touchdown from Harris, the Steelers slunk off the field in despair. Pittsburgh is maddeningly close to being a good team, but they are not good enough to overcome repeated mistakes by their rookie quarterback. They are absolutely not good enough to overcome the foolish offensive coordinator who just couldn’t resist after six quarters of competency to prove he hasn’t learned anything or changed.
Don't Let 30 Points Deceive: Steelers Embarrassing 2nd Half Offense Versus Bengals Cost Team In Loss
This was a winnable game, but the defense ultimately gave in after watching the poor offensive coaching put them back on the field time after time, in a do or die situation. Eventually, the defense is not going to save the day and after 8 quarters of superior play against the Bengals this season, they finally broke. It is unconscionable and embarrassing to waste the overall effort this season against the defending AFC Champions because your coordinator thinks he is a genius.
Jared Wickerham Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger correctly pointed out on his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast a couple of weeks ago that sometimes Pickett expecting the worse is noticeable. He was talking about long drives going wrong, but the rookie does not handle adversity well at times. He lost confidence, became more and more hesitant and his play caller did not bail him out. He dug a deeper hole. Even the normally sure-handed Pickens was infected by the apathy. He dropped 6 points late in the game when the easiest catch of the night for him fell between his hands.
Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Tomlin is partially to blame because he is on the headset. When he heard flea flicker, he should have called timeout. He did not and it cost the Steelers dearly when that play didn’t work. You could see the body language of the entire offense and you could almost guarantee the ensuing plays would not work. Tomlin as the head coach has to intervene when a coordinator has a bad idea. If he didn't recognize that a trick play in that situation was not worth the risk, then Pittsburgh has bigger problems than an incompetent offensive coordinator.
2022 is a process that fans are having to endure and perhaps it was foolish to hope that Matt Canada could guide Kenny Pickett to a magical second half of the season. He can’t and won’t. Pickett’s talent and decision making in some weeks will fill fans with hope, but as long as the offensive coaching is convinced that they should steer the team off a cliff, they will.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you horrified by the second half adjustments that Canada implemented, or do you blame Pickett? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
