A late touchdown made the score seem closer than the game as the Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 37-30 in Pittsburgh on Sunday. This was a tough loss because at halftime Pittsburgh had easily outplayed the Bengals and was in command before everything fell apart in the second half. Here are our big takeaways from the loss.
Jaylen Warren injury was a killer
Just when the Steelers run game was finding traction, an injury to running back Jaylen Warren changed everything. You could tell offensive coordinator Matt Canada was planning on having Warren on the field and when it became the Najee Harris show, Harris was productive but the run game overall looked very different from what we saw the week before.
Steelers defense ran out of gas in the second half
Thanks to an offense that couldn’t muster up a first down in the second down, the Steelers defense was gassed for much of the second half. Head coach Mike Tomlin dismissed this as a reason for the defensive collapse but it seemed really obvious.
Kenny PIckett inconsistency continues
Sometimes we forget that Kenny Pickett is a rookie. He had stretches on Sunday, especially in the first half where he looked like a seasoned veteran in total command of the offense. Then in the second half, Pickett reminded us he is still in his first NFL season and this game can be a little overwhelming for him.
George Pickens coming out party
Putting aside the foolish penalty and ejection George Pickens got at the end of the game, this was as close to a coming-out party as Pickens is going to get. Pickens had four receptions on six targets for 83 receiving yards and a touchdown. Pickens even looked a little better in creating separation including one play where he got wide open deep and Pickett missed him badly for what would have been a sure touchdown.
This isn't a good football team
This is a Steelers team that can play well at times. But overall this isn’t a good football team. There is still a lack of focus and consistency in all three phases and when one part of the team is bad they are so bad it drags down everyone else. There’s no fixing what is wrong with this team. It is simply a matter of treading water through the remainder of the season and seeing what happens.
