The Pittsburgh Steelers once again are without answers as they fell in primetime to the Green Bay Packers by a final score of 35-25. Outside of a couple games, the defense has been just outright bad all season long. This supposed "historical" unit is getting beat up on nearly a week-to-week basis. It has now gone three consecutive games without a turnover as well, and the offense hasn't been able to dig the team out of every hole. All in all, many fans have slammed down on the panic button.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward shows his frustration during a Pittsburgh Steelers game.
During his postgame press conference, Head Coach Mike Tomlin once again spoke about an issue that has plagued his teams for years.
"[The Packers] made some significant plays on possession-down ball, and you have to get off [the field] on third down, and we didn't do it well enough," Tomlin said. "In particularly, in the third quarter, there was some significant ones."
In the first half the Packers started off 0/4 on third downs. After that, they were 5/9 in those situations, along with a fourth-down conversion. The Steelers had a 16-7 lead at halftime, but they clearly failed to make any adjustments while Green Bay adjusted well and took advantage of the defense that has yet to play up to its billing. Fans are not at all currently encouraged by the product that is being put out on the field.
Tomlin also brought up a brutal play by the Packers to begin the third quarter. On 3rd and 5, quarterback Jordan Love threw up a moon ball that did not travel far at all. Safety DeShon Elliott completely misread it, and tight end Tucker Kraft caught it and took off up field for a 59-yard gain. To make matters worse, Elliott got injured trying to make the tackle afterwards.
Gene J. Puskar / Getty Images
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert makes a touchdown catch as Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott tries to stop him to win the game.
As mentioned before, the whole possession-down comment seems to come up a lot. When that topic keeps getting brought up over the years in a negative light, it reveals how lost the coaching staff is more and more each time. If the group can't figure out how to stop any type of third-down play, short or long, there are serious issues. Tough questions need to be asked by people above Tomlin.
Steelers Have Offensive Woes On Third Down As Well
In the contest versus Green Bay, the Steelers went 1/10 on third downs, while converting just one fourth down in garbage time. That is also unacceptable, and once again, it's an issue that gets brought up time and time again. If you can't ever defend well on possession downs or extend drives in that manner, how can you expected to ever be a true threat in the NFL? The top teams will walk all over you like the Packers did in Pittsburgh.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin looks on as his team loses another playoff game at the end of the 2024 season.
This all starts with Tomlin. His schemes continually get exposed by offensive-minded coaches, especially on possession downs. With all the new players and coaches coming in and out, he is the common denominator. Firing the defensive coordinator or any other assistant coach will not magically fix these issues. He has to be the one to adapt, or else this article will come out again next week.
Even with the improvements seen from the offense in recent weeks, it's not good enough. There is nothing about this team that is outright scary. Chris Boswell can't be kicking three 50+ yard field goals every single week. Without him, Pittsburgh's record in recent years would be significantly worse than what it is. Boswell can't be the team's MVP.
What do you think about Tomlin once again complaining about the failure to stop opposing teams on third down? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation
