It is a tough day to be a Steelers fan this week. Realistically, the chances of the Steelers making a playoff run were slim to none taking into account how they finished the regular season. I was expecting a loss against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round. With that being said, I did not predict just how gut-wrenching this game would be to watch. After taking a day to process the game, here are some thoughts.

The Steelers’ Year-Long Issues Were Never Resolved

Even while the Steelers were winning earlier in the season, there were things that could have been improved upon. For example, faster offensive starts were a suggested and mentioned point of emphasis. Capitalizing in the red zone was an ongoing issue, especially following Russell Wilson’s takeover as the starting quarterback. Joey Porter, Jr., while incredibly talented, was handsy at times. This cost the Steelers penalties at some very inopportune times during several games. Throughout the last month of the regular season, defensive communication and run defense were problems.

In the outing against the Baltimore Ravens, it seemed as though all of these imperfections and items to improve upon were on full display. In the end, problems that had been occurring all year and the lack of correcting such problems cost Pittsburgh this game. As with anything in life, if there is a problem that someone refuses to or fails to address, that problem will linger. I know it can be easier said than done to address and correct such issues mid-season, but this doesn’t change the reality of the situation.

The Ravens Rushing Attack Was in Full Force

Baltimore wanted to run. They always do; the duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson on the ground is largely the identity of their offense. Pittsburgh knew this. Fans in the stadium and at home knew this. And yet Baltimore ran and ran. In fact, they ran for 50 times and totaled 299 rushing yards. There was one 13-play scoring drive by the Ravens in which each play was a run.

Kudos to a great Ravens offense that is loaded with talent, but the bigger story is arguably the horrible outing by the Steelers defense. They were outplayed from the start, they were worn out due to a lop-sided time of possession difference that largely favored the Ravens, and I truly cringed watching it as a Steelers fan. There is no way to win against a gifted team like the Baltimore Ravens if the run cannot be stopped. The better team absolutely won this game.

The Offensive Woes Continued

Once again, the Steelers started incredibly slow on offense. All 14 of Pittsburgh’s points came in the second half. The best way to defend Lamar and company, arguably, is to start fast, score consistently, and sustain methodical drives on offense. Keeping that unit off the field as much as possible is essential. The Steelers could not accomplish this, and it largely decided the outcome of the game.

While the Steelers were losing for almost the entirety of the game, they rushed for less than 30 yards in this contest. Earlier in the season, the Steelers were running the ball well. This certainly was not the case on Saturday night.

Should Justin Fields have been brought in for more snaps in this game? I would argue yes, especially after the first few drives could not be sustained. Russell Wilson was not having success throwing the football early, and he does not have the mobility that Justin Fields does. The season was on the line, and there was not much to lose by bringing him in. I know I don’t get paid to make such decisions, but I still wish he would have seen the field more.

Where Do We Go From Here?

This is the 6th straight playoff loss for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It is extremely disheartening for such a proud city and fan base. Pittsburgh is a football town through and through, and there is so much historical success tied to the franchise. However, in recent years, it feels like the Steelers are just mediocre. Sure, they have not had a losing season in nearly two decades, but it has also been a long nine years since they had any sort of postseason success. Some changes were made this past offseason, but unfortunately the team yielded the same end result as years past.

This truly does beg the question of where do we as a fan base go from here? Where do the Steelers go from here? Unfortunately, I don’t think there is a simple answer here. It could be a while before fans feel like the franchise is anything more than mediocre, but my love for this team still has me hopeful that the front office will begin making changes to address this in the upcoming offseason.