Three occasions in 11 days, the Pittsburgh Steelers confronted a group aiming for the Super Bowl, the sort of elite group the Steelers have spent a lot of the season making an attempt to show they belong to.
And 3 times in 11 days, Pittsburgh discovered itself doing all of the little issues fallacious — and a number of the massive issues, too — en path to a lopsided defeat, most not too long ago a 29-10 rout by the hands of Kansas City on the day of Christmas. this supplied a stark distinction of two groups heading in reverse instructions.
The Chiefs — who struggled as a lot as they rose as they pursued a 3rd straight championship — scored twice early, compelled two momentum-shifting turnovers, had 5 sacks and closed out the sport as quickly as that they had the possibility. chance.
The Steelers (10-6) spent three hours “operating on the seaside,” as coach Mike Tomlin put it. The protection may do little to decelerate Patrick Mahomes. The offense had hassle defending Russell Wilson or producing any sort of sustainable rhythm even with huge receiver George Pickens again within the lineup after lacking three video games with a hamstring damage.
The consequence grew to become acquainted. Pittsburgh has dragged itself off the sphere in search of solutions that won’t come, not in time to make a critical playoff run anyway.
“We simply need to proceed to search out methods to get higher,” Steelers exterior linebacker TJ Watt mentioned. “As the season goes on, the margins get smaller.”
Too small proper now for Pittsburgh to be beneath its greatest. The Steelers have stayed away from that in a three-game skid that has seen their maintain on the AFC North diminish with every passing week.
Against a Kansas City group that appears to be discovering itself once more, Pittsburgh moved away from the id it had carved out for itself within the first three months of the season. The NFL chief in takeaways failed to supply a single turnover. Wilson compelled a go into triple protection in the long run zone that ended a scoring risk. And Watt and the remainder of Pittsburgh’s protection did not take Mahomes’ acquainted No. 15 to the bottom even as soon as.
“You cannot afford to single out these spots and permit them to roll up their sleeves and have time,” Watt mentioned. “We have not had any success.”
No, they did not. And the Steelers not have time to regain their swagger for a postseason berth they locked up weeks in the past. Yet any optimism about their skill to succeed in the playoffs for the primary time since 2016 light in a slide during which they have been outscored by a mean of 16 factors.
“The backside line is junior varsity is not adequate, we’ve to make it,” Tomlin mentioned.
Pittsburgh takes an prolonged break earlier than internet hosting Cincinnati within the common season finale. How the Steelers reply over the following ten days is significant.
“Our perception can not waver,” Wilson mentioned. “If something, we have to intensify our conviction much more.”
Maybe, however it might assist if they may additionally keep away from the sort of self-inflicted wounds that haunted them throughout probably the most troublesome durations of Tomlin’s lengthy tenure.
A two-play sequence late within the first quarter symbolized the way it’s gone for Pittsburgh for the reason that win over Cleveland on Dec. 8 pushed the Steelers to 10-3 and made them a fringe contender for the AFC’s high seed .
Pittsburgh was trailing 13-0 when Wilson orchestrated a scorching drive that ate up 69 yards in three performs. Jaylen Warren appeared to complete it with an 8-yard landing run. A holding penalty on tight finish Darnell Washington negated the rating.
On the following snap, Wilson tried to string a go between three defenders to tight finish Pat Freiermuth. Kansas City’s Justin Reid picked him simply.
“It’s as much as me,” Wilson mentioned. “I used to be making an attempt to provide Pat an opportunity. He did a very good job for us within the crimson zone they usually made a very good play.”
Although the Steelers managed to take a 13-7 lead into halftime, the protection collapsed virtually instantly. Kansas City scored on every of its first three possessions after halftime, together with a pair of touchdowns in simply over two minutes early within the fourth quarter.
The Chiefs headed to a joyful locker room the place they celebrated carrying Santa fits after gaining home-field benefit throughout the AFC playoffs. The Steelers plodded in the wrong way, their probabilities of reclaiming the AFC North dwindled, and a season as soon as filled with promise was trending towards a well-known final result: a fast postseason exit.
“The backside line is we’re not doing adequate,” Tomlin mentioned. “I’m much less involved about controlling the division and extra involved in regards to the high quality of our efficiency at this juncture.”
Associated Press reporting.
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