Everyone To Blame In Steelers Loss To Jets: Reaction

Nov 9, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback

(7) watches the action during the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defeated the Steelers 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers played like they were sick.  Like that had a fever.  A Bieber Fever.

Ok that’s my one and only reference to the bizarre happenings that took place during the Steelers bible study evening, where singer and monkey loving Justing Beiber visited (and studied?) with the team.  There’s no such thing as a curse other than his singing, but I know if I were any other team in the NFL, I’d tell him to keep the hell away from the players and facilities.

Onto the game.  Where does one begin to even talk about such terrible play on the field.  And, that’s just what it was – from the top down – terrible.  I could just end there.  Not move a step further with any reaction, analysis, or criticism.  But, then I would be no better than Mike Tomlin, who is so wrapped up into what happens today that I wonder if he can remember what he had for lunch yesterday or what time his flight is tomorrow?  Tomlin is content to live in the vacuum of each game being an event in of its own and nothing to do with the game before or the game that is happening next week.  Tomlin’s “today” excuse? Turnovers.  Like it’s James Carville up there yelling at the media and fans, “It’s the economy, stupid.”  The turnovers were the difference.  Nothing else.  No trends.  No indicators leading up through the week – because, hey, his guys must have been prepared for what was earlier coined as the game that would “define” this Steelers team.

:SIGH:

So the terrible… Well it all started right off the bat in that first quarter and throughout the first half.  It was the first half of follies:  Not one but two fumbles by Antonio Brown, 1 INT by Ben Roethisberger.  A second pick would be added for a lovely -4 in the turnover ratio.  And here we thought the Jets were one of the worst teams in handing the ball over to opposing defenses.  Eh well.

Nov 9, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during the first half of their game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The offensive woes weren’t just on the players.  Sure Brown’s fumbles were god awful – but uncharacteristic.  Big Ben threw a handful of bad passes (and gave up a sack he should have just thrown away) – but again rather uncharacteristic after three weeks of solid showings.  The offensive line went backwards five weeks in performance and usually three to four yards after the snap on the field in this game.  But, as has been the case except for what now can only be called a ‘two-week-blip’ on the offensive play calling radar, Todd Haley went back to the old and familiar.  He called three screens before Roethlisberger threw a ball past the line of scrimmage.  Maybe the old playbook is like comfort food to Haley.  When in a place of hostility and unfamiliarity, one tends to recede back to their comfort zone.  In this case, Haley must be uncomfortable in putting up big points on the scoreboard.  Sure enough, Haley went back to screens and numerous substitution packages after each and every play.  No wonder this team struggled to even appear to have their shit together.  No wonder Ben Roethlisberger had this to say after the game:

"The players didn’t play well, but we also had a couple issues there getting the right guys in. I know on third down the field goal team started running on the field. So we have to make sure we’re super sharp in all three phases of the game."

The icing on the cake?  Steelers linebacker James Harrison lining up at fullback at the goal line during a crucial 4th quarter drive that could have put the Steelers within striking distance.  Did everyone catch (not the ball of course) how Harrison actually slapped his hands to get Ben’s attention to throw him the ball?  Classic.  The pass went incomplete, of course.  It was a baffling call.  I get that the players out there are struggling, but you sub out your best playmakers and put a linebacker out on the field to potentially catch a pass?  Just more high school coaching by a coach who I’m not entirely convinced ins’t masochistic and enjoys this kind of suffering.

12 passing TD’s in two games.  Let’s go back to what doesn’t work.  Why should the Steelers keep Ben?  As someone quipped on Twitter after the game, “Any 3rd round QB can run Haley’s first half game plan.”  Bingo.  Still think Big Ben is “safe” from any kind of move from the ‘Burgh?  Carson Palmer just severely injured his knee down in Arizona after signing that extension…..

The offense had a ripe opportunity to pounce on this awful Jets secondary, but instead were outgained 202-77 by the end of the first half.  Those 202 yards from the Jets mainly came from a suddenly potent ground attack – Michael Vick included.  Vick reached the 6,000 yard mark in rushing for a QB.  He’s the only QB to do that, and it felt like he did it all on the Steelers on Sunday.  The Steelers secondary didn’t have to worry about being tested too much and getting burned after a couple of solid games.  The front lines were getting manhandled by the run game.

The slow start transitioned into some good adjustments by the defense, but the offense continued to wade in its own misery all afternoon.

I know Mike Tomlin doesn’t like to talk about the past.  Rightfully so, because his facing sub-.500 teams while on the road is enough to make sick.  What is it with the bottom feeders of this league and the Steelers affinity to play so poorly against them?  For those of you who suffer from Tomlin’itis – that is being defined as one who does not like to live in the past and use past seasons and games as indicators of one’s performance – it is rather difficult to ignore the state that the Steelers are 1-8 on the road against teams with a wining percentage of less than .200 while under Mike Tomlin.  The players change from year to year and from team to team.  But no matter the circumstances Tomlin has almost failed completely to get his players prepared for what should be a bloodbath while on the road.  This Jets squad wasn’t even good enough to lick the dirt off my shoes… although Sexy Rexy thought it was cool to pretend to lick Vick’s shoes.

As Steelers fans, it’s just something you come to expect now, which is just sad. Losing to bad teams can’t really be considered a trend anymore.  Trends are something that come and go.  It appears that playing down to the competition is here to stay.  It is the new “Way.”  And, it is solely Tomlin’s.

Is it entirely his fault? As I’ve laid out above, no.  Everyone was just awful.  My question is, why does that keep happening against the bad teams?  We can see what they do against the Colts and Ravens.  Is that entirely on the players? Hell no, and that is exactly why everyone should be giving Tomlin the ol’ stink eye after this game…. not this guy on the right (even though he sucks too).