The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their last games at home to teams that had two wins. The two losses put a greater emphasis on Saturday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts. Both teams entered the game with 7-6 records, and the winner would move into a Wild Card spot.
Pittsburgh jumped out to a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter, but that was the end of the scoring for the Steelers. Indianapolis scored the next 30 points and cruised to a 30-13 home victory.
What Went Wrong?
Something had to be off on Saturday for the Steelers when rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. said after the game, “We played like sh– today.”
Joey Porter Jr: “We played like shit today. There’s no sugarcoating that.”
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) December 17, 2023
Pittsburgh’s defense gave up 30 points, but it could have been more because the Colts kicked three field goals from inside the Steelers’ 25 and missed two other field goals.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said, “We’re a fundamentally poor football group right now. We’re playing losing football, and I take responsibility for that.” He explained that the fundamental areas he was referring to were penalties, turnovers, and not playing well in situations.
Scoring has been a challenge for Pittsburgh, with the team scoring only 41 total points in the last three games. One of the touchdowns today was set up by a blocked punt that allowed the Steelers to start at the Colts’ 1-yard line. With quarterback Kenny Pickett out indefinitely, Mitch Trubisky’s two starts have resulted in the Steelers struggling to move the ball.
Pittsburgh had eight penalties for 101 yards and two turnovers in Saturday’s loss. In the first game of the three-game losing streak, the Steelers were called for nine penalties for 77 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.
What’s Ahead for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Pittsburgh started the week as one of six AFC teams with a 7-6 record, and it’s possible they finish Week 15 behind the other five. The loss to the Colts dropped the Steelers record against AFC opponents to 5-5.
Tomlin said after the game, “Things won’t continue the way they are; we’re not going to keep doing the same things that we’re doing and expect and hope for a different result.” Tomlin acknowledged that he didn’t have the answers right now, and the team has seven days to prepare for the next game.
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Next week, the Steelers will host the Cincinnati Bengals, who moved to 8-6 on Saturday. Pittsburgh won the first meeting, and a win next week would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Pittsburgh finishes the season with two road games against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 before visiting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18.
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