PITTSBURGH – Ben Roethlisberger was blunt in his self-assessment after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second loss in a row, a 26:15 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday evening.
“If I don’t play football well enough, I have to hang up,” he said. “I still feel like I can do enough to help this team win football games and I will do anything to get us back on track.”
The 38-year-old quarterback completed 21 of 37 attempts for 187 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, including his first pick-six since 2018 to complete the first half.
Another week of predictable attack resulted in explosive games of opposing defenses, and the Steelers fell to 11-2 by an aspiring Bills team. The Bills defenses were all over the short, quick passes that barely moved the ball across the field . The Steelers averaged just 4.1 meters per game.
“We have to win more possession downs and thus have more possession of the ball and give us more options,” said coach Mike Tomlin, explaining why the Steelers stopped expanding the field. “The more snaps you get, the more opportunities you have of doing some of the dynamic games you suggest. It starts with sticking to the schedule and owning the ball, and we’re not doing enough of it right now – other discussions are more problematic. “
Although James Conner and center Maurkice Pouncey were run back from the reserve / COVID-19 list after two missed matches, the running game was basically non-existent with 17 transfers for 47 yards, including 10 transfers for 18 from Conner. In the past two games, the Steelers have combined 68 rushing yards for 2.2 yards per rush on 31 attempts. In the first five games of the season, the same team hurried at least 100 meters. However, since week 7, the Steelers have run 100 meters only once in eight games. The Steelers have ranked last in the NFL in rush yards per game and yards per rush since week 7.
“The defense can play fast if you don’t let the ball run,” said Roethlisberger. “We have to do better to be a more balanced offense. We have to do better to play those games.”
In the passing game, the Steelers continued to have problems with drops. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson had two drops in the first two series and was bet until the second half.
Although the Steelers took an early 7-0 lead and turned Cameron Sutton’s second turnover into a touchdown from Roethlisberger to James Washington, the Bills shifted the momentum in their favor by intercepting Roethlisberger just before half-time. A pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster was picked up by Taron Johnson and returned for a 51 yard touchdown to give the Bills a 9-7 lead during the break.
The Bills followed that result with consecutive touchdowns on throws from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis to open the third quarter.
“We played a few games in the first half,” said Tomlin. “They played a few games defensively. Their games were bigger than ours. That pick six was the big game so they deserve credit.”
The Steelers scored a goal in the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger staged a 4-minute, 38-second, 10-game scoring ride that ended in a touchdown to Smith-Schuster.
After the defense had kept the bills on a field goal, the Steelers offensive reacted with a brief possession of the ball, which ended with Roethlisberger’s second interception of the night.
“We have to look in the mirror, and it starts with me,” said Roethlisberger. “I have to play better football because the ball is in my hands every game. When it is in my hands, I have to make the best decision. At the moment, I am not playing football well enough to win.”
With the defeat, the Steelers continued the regression that began 12 days ago with a narrow win against the Baltimore Ravens and continued the defeat against the Washington Football Team.
The Steelers were the sixth team in NFL history to lose 11-0 or better consecutive games after the start of a season. Of the previous five teams, only the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009 and the Broncos in 1998.
“We lost two,” said Roethlisberger. “We’re facing some adversity. We’re not pressing the panic button. We’re not very good offensive. We’re not playing good football at the moment and that starts with me. So we all have to look.” The mirror. It starts with me and I understand that we all need to be better. I think we will be.
“I think this is a team that are very resilient and resilient and understand what it takes to win football games and understand what time of year it is and that the way we are playing right now is unacceptable. “
The loss to the Bills concludes a three-game stretch in 12 days caused by the three postponements of the Ravens game due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Baltimore organization. The Steelers received league permission to travel to Buffalo early Sunday to get more prep time in Pittsburgh.
Now, for the first time since playing Jacksonville in week 11, the Steelers have a relatively normal week of prep. They are due to play against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday so they have time to fix the recurring offensive deficiencies and possibly get some injured defensive players back into the mix like Joe Haden.
“We have to find a way to rally and play enough games but we haven’t,” said Tomlin. “We are taking responsibility for this and preparing for our next opportunity.”
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