Just about everything fans have detested about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance during the previous 12 games of their 2023 regular season was on prominent display yet again in a Thursday night defeat that spoke volumes about how far this franchise has fallen. The Black-and-gold’s offensive futility, amplified by abysmal play-selection and poor coaching, ruined any chance the Steelers might have had to stage a late comeback. For the majority of the second half, and despite getting a key interception and blocking a punt to set up a late TD, the Steelers’ uninspired play never suggested they were doing anything other than circling the drain on their way to a 7-6 record.

Once again, the Steelers largely were unable to move the ball, converting only 3-of-14 third down situations and 1-of-3 fourth down attempts. Four of their 14 offensive drives were 3-and-outs, plus two more crucial failures on fourth down and one drive cut short by Mitch Trubisky’s interception which set up the Pats to score their second of their three TDs.

After hearing himself nearly booed out of Acrisure Stadium in the first half, Mitch Trubisky finished the game as the Steelers’ leading rusher with 30 yards. George Pickens caught five passes for a total of only 19 yards. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren had a combined 40 yards rushing. These numbers define the abject futility of the Steelers’ efforts.

During the first half and following Chris Boswell’s 56-yard FG which cut New England’s lead to 7-3, the Steelers offense went 3-and-out on three possessions plus a fourth possession which ended on Trubisky’s interception.

Despite the Steelers defense holding the Pats scoreless for the entire second half, the offense’s continuing inability to capitalize ultimately made victory impossible. After Mykal Walker’s interception set them up at the Pats’ 16-yard line near the end of the third quarter, the Steelers failed on a 4th-and-2 play from the 7-yard line, turning the ball over to New England. Shortly afterwards, the Steelers were able to score their only points of the half at 13:23 of the final quarter, but only because Miles Killebrew blocked the Pats’ punt, setting up the offense at New England’s 26-yard line.

Of all the moves on Thursday night that left Steelers Nation scratching our collective heads, none was more egregious than the play called with 1:55 remaining in the game. On 4th-and-2, with the Steelers at midfield and having adequate time to move into range for what might have been a game-tying Boswell FG, the Steelers instead dialed up a deep sideline pass intended for the tightly-covered Diontae Johnson. In this crucial situation, the Steelers apparently acknowledged before a national TV audience that they had absolutely nothing in their playbook they felt confident could pick up the few yards necessary to sustain their drive.

More than any of their other foibles this season, this play exemplifies the substantial distance separating the Pittsburgh Steelers from being serious NFL contenders. When a team consistently fails to convert first downs in crucial situations — opting instead for low-percentage, go-for-broke plays like Trubisky’s throw to Johnson — there’s no limit to how far they might fall in the weeks ahead. With four matchups remaining this season against the Colts, Bengals, Seahawks and Ravens, it’s difficult to imagine this team winning more than one more game — provided of course that Baltimore sews up their playoff berth prior to the January 7 finale.

In the history of professional football in Pittsburgh, today’s Steelers now have reached a rock-bottom level we haven’t seen since the late 1960s. Furthermore, nothing indicates this team has made any significant progress in 2023. It’s entirely conceivable the Steelers will head into the upcoming postseason without any certainty at the quarterback position and requiring wholesale personnel changes which might translate to another extended transition.

Obviously, this dismal picture encourages increasingly strident and legitimate criticism of Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers front office. Tomlin stated at the close of his post-game press conference, “This is what we do; this is who we are.” In the wake of a second consecutive loss at home to an NFL bottom-feeder, this statement inadvertently describes a football team unable to seriously compete in its present form.