How The Steelers Stumbled In Week Four Loss
Unfortunately, the Steelers Undefeated dream is over, coming to a screeching halt in week four in Indianapolis. It was a winnable game for Pittsburgh, but that's the Steelers. Justin Fields put together another solid game but couldn’t get his fourth win on the young season.
The Steelers struggled in multiple areas resulting in a 27-24 loss that shouldn’t have happened. Now Pittsburgh is set to welcome the Cowboys to town next week, but not without taking a second to assess the damage. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers get embarrassed by the Colts for the second straight season.
5. Slow Start
The 2024 Steelers reverted to the Steelers of old in week four. A slow start put them behind the eight-ball early. Steelers fans are used to this, the team falling into an insurmountable hole and falling just short at the final whistle. They turned it on in the second half slightly, but it didn’t matter. The damage was done. Falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter was too much, even once Richardson got hurt and Flacco took over.
Chris Boswell’s 50-yard field goal as the first half expired got them on the board, cutting the deficit back to 14. Despite the second-half resurgence, it didn’t matter for Pittsburgh. Nobody told them that the game started at 1:00. Starting slow is a huge problem for how this Steelers team wants to play.
4. Questionable Officiating
The loss can’t be placed on bad referees, but it was a huge problem on Sunday. The officiating seemed awfully one-sided for the team in blue. Minkah Fitzpatrick was given a 15-yard flag for unnecessary roughness on a play down the sideline that was textbook. If he can’t do that, what can he do? The league is turning soft before our eyes. TJ Watt spent the whole day with Colts players holding him around the waist or neck with no calls.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, it is tough to blame the officiating too much when you sleepwalk through a game the way they did. It’s frustrating, but they have nobody to blame but themselves. Bad week, but sometimes you just don’t get calls in the NFL.
3. Offensive Line Struggles
Another week, another mediocre day from the Steelers offensive line. They lost James Daniels early with an ankle injury and he didn’t return. In his place was a hodgepodge of Mason McCormick, Spencer Anderson, and Ryan McCollum. They were all rather disappointing in week four. The return of Isaac Seumalo can’t come any faster for the Pittsburgh offense.
Fields was sacked four times on the day and under pressure many times, causing his fumble in the third quarter. Zach Frazier’s untimely snap on the final drive killed the game as well. It feels like that is a problem at least once a week. The rookie isn’t perfect yet, but that’s okay. The offensive line also severely hindered Najee Harris and the running game.
2. Bad Turnovers
Fields didn’t throw any interceptions and only has one on the season, but the fumbles were a problem for Pittsburgh in week four. The Steelers were on the verge of seven points when George Pickens had an untimely fumble inside the Colts five-yard line. That one ends up hurting the most. Fields also had a fumble on a play that was a blur where nobody blocked for him upfront. That was a questionable one as he appeared to be down, but still stood.
1. The Steelers Defense Was Sleepwalking
The defense is usually the thing that the Steelers can rely on at all times, so it’s tough to be too mad at them. Week four was one of those weird weeks where they looked completely disoriented. TJ Watt was rendered almost completely useless by holds. They just couldn’t get consistent pressure on Anthony Richardson or Joe Flacco, leading to a ton of third-down conversions.
Pittsburgh was only able to grab two sacks. Larry Ogunjobi and Beanie Bishop both split one and Cam Heyward picked up one for himself. Joey Porter had two interception opportunities that slipped through the cracks, hurting the Steelers badly. They came out with a bit more juice in the second half, but it was too little too late.
The Bright Spot: Justin Fields
Although he couldn’t get the win for Pittsburgh, Fields was one of the few bright spots in week four. He went 22/34 for 312 yards and one passing touchdown. Not only did he pass for 300+, but he was also the Steelers’ leading rusher as well with ten attempts for 55 yards and two touchdowns. Fields showed a ton of resilience after his fumble, although he fell short.
He became the first quarterback in Steelers history with 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Unfortunately for Russell Wilson, Fields has been electrifying through four games and doesn’t appear ready to hand the job over just yet.
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