Mistakes, penalties, and downright awful play once again doomed the Steelers Sunday at home to a Tampa Bay team that allowed 56 points and scored just 14 a week ago.
27-24, a home loss after falling behind 10-0, and then after going up 17-10 and leading 24-20 with less than a minute to go, the team was unable to close out a Bucs team that came in 0-3 and reeling.
The penalties were embarrassing, as the Steelers amassed 125 yards on 13 penalties, including allowing big plays to be wiped out all day with mental mistakes.
All this after the team appeared to make a statement last Sunday night, beating the Panthers 37-19 on the road.
After this loss, last week seems like nothing more than a mirage, as all the questions that plagued this team after the loss to the Ravens appear to be back.
The game was lost on 3 plays late after it appeared the Steelers might escape with a 24-20 win. They took over at their own 14, but went three-and-out after Le’Veon Bell was stopped on third down.
Punter Brad Wing shanked a 36-yard punt that allowed the Bucs to start at the Steelers 46.
After an incomplete pass, Tampa Bay QB Mike Glennon hit Louis Murphy, who escaped from two Steelers defenders and raced 41 yards to the Steelers 5 with 15 seconds left.
After another incomplete pass, Glennon hit Vincent Jackson with a five-yard TD in front of Willie Gay for the game winner which sent the Steelers home fans home silent.
Ben Roethlisberger and the offense put up 390 yards, with Antonio Brown catching two touchdowns and putting up 131 yards on 7 catches.
Bell ran for 63 yards, Blount for 25, but the run game that was so very good vs the Panthers just wasn’t the same against the Bucs.
Heads deserve to roll after this loss, a loss that puts the team at 2-2, blowing a golden chance to go 3-1 with a trip to Jacksonville up next Sunday.
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DrGeorge
September 28, 2014 at 6:46 pm
Tomlin is hanging this loss on excessive penalties (13 of them for 125 yards) due to a lack of discipline for which he takes responsibility (he should). The fans are upset about the play calling (deserved) and the poor punting (awful) and preparation (maybe). But emotional fatigue played a part in this loss as well. The team expended a lot of energy in the win at Carolina last week, and it played flat today. We also lost three starters on defense to injury last week, a defense which surrendered big plays today and allowed way too many passing first downs to Glennon, an average QB at best. The loss of that many defensive starters had to have an effect, especially in pass coverage coordination and the many defensive penalties. Apparently, one week was not enough time to retool the D. Finally, in the red zone and with that last possession with the game on the line, the offense simply failed to make a first down when needed. For that, there is no ready excuse. One also wonders why Haley got away from the run and used Blount so little throughout the game? The offense had opportunities to salt this one away and failed to come through. In sum, a frustrating loss all around and a wasted opportunity to be 3-1.
We have another week to recover and to prepare for another losing team (Jaguars) next week. If fatigue was the main culprit for our loss today, the team will rest and bounce back. If a lack of talent is the problem, especially in our defensive secondary, it will become apparent against the Jaguars — because Mr. Bortles will review this game tape and start licking his chops. And suddenly,the Jags loom as a must win for this team and its coaches.
Jay
September 28, 2014 at 7:22 pm
That’s way too rational…where’s the vitriol and bloodlust? This is football and if it eats itself, I’ll go do something else like write another novel. Until then, I root for players on the opposing side to get injured and cheer when they do! When the steelers play like shit because their head coach sucks then I call it that way and when I see players shake hands after a game, I just shake my head. There’s acertain vicarious ness I, a violent person , receives from watching this and if someone walked up and smashed Tomlin over the head with a blunt object, I’d be happy!