In this week’s “3 & Out” column, we look at… oh, whatever. You saw it. Let’s dig through the rubble.

Unleashing Misery

I’m a big fan of Mike Tomlin-isms. I even borrow a few in my own coaching career. I’ve routinely told our players to have “a big windshield and a small rearview mirror,” and that “it’s not what you’re capable of doing that counts, it’s what you’re willing to do.”

But for all the great Tomlin quotes that could fill an inspirational calendar, there are a few that landed like a lead balloon. One of those was issued fourteen years ago this week, when Tomlin told reporters the 2009 Steelers would “unleash hell” in the month of December. Pittsburgh promptly lost its first two December games, securing endless sarcasm directed Tomlin’s way nearly every subsequent year the calendar reaches its ultimate month.

On Sunday against a 2-10 Arizona team, the Steelers unleashed hell alright. Unfortunately, they unleashed it on themselves. Pittsburgh scored just three meaningful points against the 31st-ranked scoring defense in the league. They hurt themselves with penalties, poor red zone and third down execution and a killer turnover early in the third quarter. They were sloppy, undisciplined and unfocused, leading to a dreadful performance against an inferior opponent. Adding insult to literal injury was the fact Kenny Pickett was knocked out of the game before halftime with a left ankle problem that will require surgery and sideline him two-to-four weeks. Elandon Roberts and Isaac Seumalo left with injuries as well and were unable to return. T.J. Watt was hampered by an ankle injury. And Minkah Fitzpatrick broke his hand.

As my father would say, other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

Needless to say, the combination of poor play and significant injuries to some of the team’s best players creates concern with a quick turnaround this week. The Steelers host the New England Patriots on Thursday night in what feels like a must-win contest as far as their playoff hopes are concerned. New England lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 6-0 on Sunday in a game that may have been even uglier than Pittsburgh’s. The Patriots are 2-10 and are arguably the worst team in the league. But Tomlin has a career record of 3-8 versus New England, and the Steelers aren’t good enough to beat anyone without playing solid football.

That’s a lesson they learned against the Cardinals the hard way.

Situational Woes

The Steelers did some nice things on offense from a personnel perspective. For the first three-and-a-half quarters, before Arizona scored their third touchdown and put the game away, co-coordinators Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan alternated effectively between Pittsburgh’s three receiver, 11-personnel grouping and their bigger packages that incorporated extra tight ends and linemen. The Steelers ran 23 plays from 11-personnel for 110 yards, an average of 4.8 yards per play. They also ran 23 plays from their bigger 12, 13 and Jumbo (six OL) groupings that netted 138 yards (6.0). Together, they had 46 plays for 248 yards for a solid 5.4 average, and that was before they drove 75 yards in 10 plays to score a meaningless touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

If the Steelers mixed their packages up well and moved the ball effectively, why did they score just three points in the first 55 minutes of play? Put simply, they stunk on third down and in plus territory.

Pittsburgh converted just 36% of their third down opportunities, making four of eleven. By contrast, the Cardinals went 10-of-17 on third down for a 59% conversion rate. That number looks worse when you consider Arizona started the game 0-for-5 before converting 10 of its final 12. The difference was largely the passing game. Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky went a combined 4-9 for 42 yards on third downs, with one of the completions gaining no yards and another third down-play aborted by a bad snap Pickett had to eat for a loss. Meanwhile, Arizona’s Kyler Murray was 7-10 for 88 yards and a touchdown. Arizona converted four third downs on its 15-play, 99-yard scoring drive just before halftime that gave them a 10-3 lead.

Pittsburgh’s other situational problem came when they drove the ball into Arizona territory. There, they couldn’t finish. Arizona’s 99-yard drive was precipitated by the Steelers failing to score on 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line on the play following Pickett’s injury. They also drove to the Arizona 11 on their opening possession but were forced to settle for a field goal. Then, in the third quarter, following the second of two long weather delays, they drove to the Arizona 27-yard line only to see Chris Boswell push a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right. Those three drives amassed 192 yards in 28 plays and ate up 14:50 of game clock. The Steelers came away with three points.

Pittsburgh has now scored one touchdown in its last 10 red zone possessions and has converted just 19-of-55 third downs (34%) over the past four games. If you’re looking for non-Matt Canada related culprits as to why they’re averaging a dismal 15.75 points per game, look no further than those areas.

Pittsburgh 4077th

Pittsburgh’s sturdy defense finally cracked. After limiting Arizona to 41 yards and three points on their first four drives, the Cardinals racked up 239 yards and 21 points on their final six possessions. The dam began to break when the Steelers lost Roberts late in the second quarter. He was replaced by Mark Robinson, who finished the game with eight tackles. But Robinson’s inexperience in coverage was exploited by Arizona, primarily in the form of tight end Trey McBride. McBride caught six passes for 71 yards and a touchdown after Roberts exited. Not all of that was at the expense of Robinson. But the combination of Robinson and Mykal Walker at linebacker, a duo who had never played meaningful snaps together, coupled with Fitzpatrick returning to the lineup after missing several games with an injury, and backups Miles Killebrew and Trenton Thompson seeing extensive action in the secondary, created a patchwork pass coverage unit that struggled to gel.

Watt’s injury was another factor. The All-Pro edge rusher notched his league-leading 14th sack of the season. But he was in and out of the lineup with a balky ankle, and it was clear in the second half that he was unable to play at full speed. Watt is Pittsburgh’s biggest impact player on either side of the ball, so having him at anything less than 100% is a big blow to the defense. With the New England game looming, the Steelers can only hope Watt’s injury isn’t too severe.

The defense has kept Pittsburgh afloat all season, but it’s fair to wonder how long they can continue to play at a high level given the injuries they’ve accrued. Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander are gone for the year. Keanu Neal is on the injured list. Fitzpatrick, Watt and Cam Heyward are each banged up. All teams have injury issues this time of year, but few have seen as many high-profile players go down as the Steelers. The team will need some better luck on the injury front — and for the offense to start pulling its weight — if they expect to qualify for the playoffs.

And Out…

It was reported by Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Arizona’s players had some unflattering words for the Steelers in their locker room after the game. One player was quoted as saying, “Matt Canada was at the crib watching that game like, ‘I’m the problem, huh,'” while another reportedly said, “These guys still stink.” Trash talk is what it is — trash — but still, when it comes from a three-win team like the Cardinals, it has to sting. Hopefully those remarks will make their way back to the Pittsburgh locker room where they might resonate a bit. The Steelers should harness any motivation they can heading into Thursday.

Check out my podcast “The Call Sheet,” which runs Wednesdays on our FFSN NFL network, and my video breakdowns of the Steelers on our SCN YouTube channel. Just search “The Call Sheet Breakdowns” for my latest video work. You can follow me on Twitter as well @KTSmithFFSN.