Pittsburgh Steelers defense goes out on a low note again
Mike Tomlin’s team made it to the postseason for the third time in five years. But the defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers suffered through another long outing.
When it comes to the game of football, no one player can do it by themselves no matter the level of greatness. The adage that quarterbacks win games and defeat other quarterbacks is ludicrous. This isn’t Wimbledon or the boxing ring.
Once again, Mike Tomlin led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the postseason. And for the third time in five years, the team’s supposed strength didn’t answer the bell. And this was after a promising start.
The Kansas City Chiefs totaled zero points and gained 67 total yards on their first 18 offensive plays. Over the following two-plus quarters, Andy Reid’s attack ran 47 plays, gained a whopping 411 yards (8.7 average), and scored six touchdowns – including five TD passes from Patrick Mahomes. Kansas City ran away from the Steelers and came away with a 42-21 victory.
Yes, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and coordinator Matt Canada’s offense struggled out of the gate again. But this was the third straight playoff game in which the Steelers allowed at least 42 points – all losses. In each of those setbacks, the defensive unit allowed at least five touchdowns. Dating back to the 2017 postseason, Tomlin’s team has allowed a stunning 135 points in losses to the Jaguars, Browns, and Chiefs.
To be clear, there is plenty of blame to go around any time a team wins or loses. And it’s safe to say that the recent Steelers have not mastered the art of complementary football. The lack of commitment to the running game has hurt both sides of the ball. There have been too many mistakes (8 turnovers) and too few big plays from Keith Butler’s defense. Of course, T.J. Watt had a doozy on Sunday night to get the Steelers on the board first.
All told, dating back to a 36-17 setback in the 2016 AFC title game at New England, the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost four straight playoff games for the first time in their storied history. The team has allowed a whopping 171 points in those defeats. There’s some talent on that side of the ball these disappointing performances must be addressed.