All losses are not created equal.
If you need evidence of this for the Pittsburgh Steelers, look no further than yesteday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens where over the course of an afternoon, the playoffs went from a likelihood to a pipe dream.
That’s because in spite of being heavy favorites against a four-win Ravens squad, the Steelers failed to show up in a game that will go down as one of the toughest defeats of the Mike Tomlin era and could keep a team many believed was a Super Bowl contender from making the playoffs altogether.
After winning five of their previous six games, the untimely setback to the Ravens now has the Steelers needing outside help and a win in Cleveland to have any hopes at the postseason.
In this week’s edition of three up, three down, we take a look at a few highs and a lot of lows in a loss to the Ravens.
Three up:
*Let me first say that it was hard to find three positives from this debacle, but DeAngelo Williams 100-yard, two-touchdown effort deserves recognition. Williams gained 84 yards in the first half and found plenty of running room as the Ravens practically begged the Steelers to run the ball as they employed a two-deep zone to thwart the passing game. The Steelers took the bait (I’ll get back to that) and Williams thrived early and often.
Williams has been terrific this year and defied the odds by proving he’s still got something left in the tank at 32 years young. The good news for the Steelers is Williams is signed for next season, a nice luxury to have with Le’Veon Bell back in 2016.
*Theres a lot of things to dislike about the Steelers defense, but starting defensive ends Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt have been tremendous all season and should only get better. Heyward, who was absolutely robbed of Pro-Bowl recognition last week, continues to be the best overall player on the Steelers defense and finished the game with six tackles.
Tuitt’s huge stop on third and short gave the Steelers the ball back with a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. Tuitt also had six tackles and looks like he’s going to be a force for the Steelers defense for years to come.
*Marcus Gilbert gets a shout out not only because he once again played a strong game, but he just deserves some credit where credit is due. A lot of people questioned why he got a lucrative contract extension last year, yet he’s proving to be worth every penny indeed.
Three down:
*Boy oh boy did Ben Roethlisberger pick a fine time to play one of his worst games of his career. There are lots of things you can point to as reasons for yesterday’s loss, but Roethlisberger’s dud in Baltimore is far and away the biggest. Coming into the game white-hot and playing one of the worst pass defenses in the league, Roethlisberger was out of sorts from start to finish.
Roethlisberger threw two interceptions and had a third that was returned 100-yards for a touchdown nullified on a off-sides penalty. Darryl Smith’s interception of Roethlisberger came off an awful throw that left you scratching your head. There was just no rhythm to the passing game and that starts with Roethlisberger, who seems enamored with the big play instead of taking what the defense gives you. The middle of the field was open all day, yet Markus Wheaton and Heath Miller seldom got looks, especially the first three quarters.
Why are you throwing two deep throws on the final possession needing 16 yards on third and fourth down? Unbelievable in that spot, but typical of Roethlisberger’s poor decision making all too often this season.
Blame predictably is conveniently set on the coaches lap because that’s easy, but anyone who really watched that game knows it was Roethlisberger’s clunker against the Ravens that doomed the Steelers.
*That’s not to say that Mike Tomlin and staff don’t have to foot some of the bill. The players ultimately are responsible for getting the job done, but this galling loss that will likely keep the Steelers out of the playoffs leaves Tomlin and his coordinators Todd Haley and Keith Butler up for criticism.
First up is Tomlin. With so much at stake, how does this team sleepwalk through the first half? Knowing John Harbaugh and the Ravens, could you really expect them to lie down because they had nothing to play for? I don’t know if it was overconfidence after winning five of six or if it was something else, either way, this does little to help Tomlin’s reputation of letting games like this slip away.
Then there’s Haley. The Ravens practically begged the Steelers to run the ball, and they did, gaining a bundle of yards but only coming away with three first-half points. Haley got “Rope-A-Doped” in this one. Instead of leading with their biggest strength and exposing one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, they chose to get away from what had been so successful over the last two months of the season.
*Let’s not forget that defense. Butler’s unit has repeatedly allowed teams to have big days through the air, and it’s flat out unacceptable. How do you allow Ryan Mallett to have a career day after being signed off the street two weeks ago? How are you not better prepared to stop him? The Steelers pass rush was non-existent and it starts with the linebacker group that has struggled all year long to get consistent pressure.
Then there is the secondary. Mike Mitchell’s decision to head hunt cost the Steelers a turnover they desperately needed. Willie Gay getting torched by Chris Givens on third and 22 was absolutely killer, and the failure of Mitchell and Will Allen to find seldom-used Chris Matthews in the back of the end-zone for a first-quarter touchdown was another example of why safety is real area of concern heading into the off-season.
Photo credit: Baltimore Sun
