Tomlin: Steelers’ effort was ‘junior varsity’
Win was also costly as Dupree reportedly suffered a torn ACL
Maybe it was that the game was postponed from its original prime-time holiday spot and pushed around like a shopping cart.
Maybe it was the mid-week matinee starting time that left them feeling slighted in favor of a lighted Christmas tree.
Whatever the reason, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked nothing like the NFL’s only unbeaten team in a 19-14 victory against the virus-decimated Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday, a performance so sloppy and listless that coach Mike Tomlin called it “junior varsity in all three phases.” And he was talking about the Steelers, not the Ravens, who were without star quarterback Lamar Jackson and eight other starters.
“I’ll be honest, I’m really disappointed in our performance,” Tomlin said. “We did a lot to win, but that’s about it. There’s not a lot to be proud of or excited about, other than that.”
The victory improved the Steelers to 11-0 and eliminated the Ravens (6-5) from being able to win their third consecutive AFC North title. But the performance, against a team minus many of its top players because of a COVID-19 outbreak, might have been the Steelers’ worst all season.
The 19 points and only one offensive touchdown were the fewest this season.
The defense had two takeaways, including a 14-yard interception return for a touchdown from cornerback Joe Haden, but it allowed 93 of the Ravens’ 129 yards rushing in the first half and gave up a 70-yard touchdown from third-team quarterback Trace McSorley to receiver Marquise Brown with 2:58 remaining to make the outcome even more perilous.
What’s more, they lost outside linebacker Bud Dupree for the rest of the season after he sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament, sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“I know we won, but it sure doesn’t feel good,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “It’s just not good football.”
Red-zone failures, seven dropped passes, a fumbled punt that led to a Ravens touchdown, a missed extra point and the second-longest touchdown pass surrendered this season all conspired for a 60-minute performance that was befitting a game-show time slot, not prime time.
Tomlin was more succinct when asked the reason for the mistakes: “Us sucking,” he said.
Tomlin refused to blame all the strange happenings of the previous six days, including having the game postponed three different times, for the desultory way his team performed against the Ravens.
But Roethlisberger, who attempted a season-high 51 passes with one touchdown and one interception, said all the delays since Thanksgiving, when the game was originally scheduled, may have been a factor.
“This is a mental game, and this has been a very challenging and draining week,” Roethlisberger said. “But we need to step on the field and play good football when it’s time.”
That didn’t happen against the Ravens, who were without many of their top players because of COVID-19 issues, including Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews, receiver Willie Snead, running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram, and center Patrick Mekari. They had to sign 10 players from their practice squad for the game.
The loss of Dupree, who is tied for seventh in the league with eight sacks and is third on the team with 15 quarterback hits, hurts the most.
It would be a big blow to a defense that has already lost inside linebacker Devin Bush for the season.