Tim Benz: Horrible tackling, untimely turnovers among grievances to air after Steelers’ rotten tie against Detroit
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On a few occasions before the 2021 season began, I sarcastically predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers would go 8-8-1 in the NFL’s first 17-game regular season.
That way, we could still say, “Well, you know, Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season!”
I thought I was kidding. Now, after Sunday’s 16-16 tie against the Detroit Lions, that might actually happen.
Then again, after what I witnessed Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field against the Lions — and knowing the strength of the Steelers schedule over the next eight games — I’m not sure where the Steelers (5-3-1) are going to find three more wins to make that happen.
Even with starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger inactive because of coronavirus, the Steelers should’ve found a way to beat the winless Lions, who now are 0-8-1.
Given this game was a tie, we’ve split our “Feats of Strength” and “Airing of Grievances” for this week. But don’t employ the old-school hockey analysis of “this was a good point” coming out of a tie.
Let’s be honest. The Steelers lost this game by a final score of 16-16.
Feats of Strength
The opening drive: Mason Rudolph looked good on the opening drive, completing three of four passes for 21 yards.
On a third down, he also picked up a 29-yard pass interference penalty on a deep throw to James Washington down the left sideline.
Then Rudolph threw a touchdown to Washington on a third down in the red zone.
Might wanna put someone on that @JamesWashington guy.@Rudolph2Mason | : FOX pic.twitter.com/PbmNc7Cb4V
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) November 14, 2021
That was the first touchdown of the year for both Rudolph and Washington.
Run, run, Rudolph: Rudolph used his legs better than his arm. He had a 26-yard scramble on the Steelers’ first possession of the second half.
Mason Michael Vick Rudolph pic.twitter.com/KTDG5YLbiq
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) November 14, 2021
Later in the drive, Rudolph drilled Detroit safety Tracy Walker on an 11-yard run.
mason knocking guys out pic.twitter.com/lHrIKB9rDW
— Benstonium (@Benstonium) November 14, 2021
But Rudolph had a bad underthrow on a third-and-goal a few plays later, resulting in a bounced pass to an open Ray-Ray McCloud in the end zone.
How about Heyward?: T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward continue to be the only consistent playmakers on defense. Watt had a sack in the third quarter before injuring his hip. Heyward had two sacks, including one in overtime.
But Watt suffered injuries to his knee and hip on the sack and did not return to the game.
At least Alex Highsmith cranked up his play after Watt got hurt. He ended up with 11 combined tackles — eight solo, two for loss — and two quarterback hits.
Airing of Grievances
Terrible turnovers: The Steelers were guilty of three turnovers — two in overtime on fumbles by Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth. Both occurred on Detroit’s half of the field as the Steelers were creeping into Chris Boswell’s field-goal range.
Meanwhile, the Steelers defense didn’t create any turnovers.
Coming into the game, the Steelers had eight takeaways. Only six teams had fewer. The Lions were one of them, with seven.
Indefensible: The Steelers’ run defense was an atrocity. Against a Lions team that came into the game 28th in passing yards, the Steelers appeared stunned the Lions may try to run.
Either that, or they knew Detroit was going to run every play, and they still couldn’t stop it. Regardless, it was an embarrassment. Detroit wound up with 229 yards on 39 carries, for an average of 5.9 per rush.
That was with Detroit’s leading rusher, Jamal Williams, inactive. The Lions’ 745 rushing yards were 26th in the NFL entering the game.
Steelers defenders were getting gashed at the line of scrimmage, couldn’t get off blocks and missed tackles by the bushel.
Devin Bush and Minkah Fitzpatrick looked particularly bad on Godwin Igwebuike’s touchdown run.
The first career TD for Igwebuike to give the #Lions the lead!
#DETvsPIT | FOX pic.twitter.com/kjLzFWwzCg— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 14, 2021
“There was a guy out of place or two initially,” coach Mike Tomlin said of his defense. “But if you had to wrap it in a bow and talk about globally, we had to tackle better. As the game wore on, we did. And we settled it down. But the damage was the damage.”
Tomlin’s assessment is accurate. After 209 yards rushing in the first three quarters, Detroit only managed to net 20 the rest of the game. But the Lions run game during the first three quarters is how they managed to slink their way to the tie.
Mason’s misses: Rudolph ended up 30 for 50 for 242 yards, a touchdown, an interception and no sacks.
Two of his incompletions were costly.
The first of which was that miss of McCloud in the end zone mentioned earlier. That incompletion resulted in a field goal instead of a touchdown, only cutting Detroit’s lead to 16-13 instead of erasing it entirely.
“I’ve got to make that throw. He did a great job getting open in the red zone. That’s one I’ve got to make,” Rudolph said.
Rudolph also was critical of himself for missing an open Johnson on a crucial third-down conversion attempt near midfield with 4:37 remaining in regulation.
False flags: The roughing the passer penalty on Tre Norwood in overtime was a joke. Just the latest in a never-ending series of horrible interpretations by officials to overly protect quarterbacks. Go back and re-watch the Baltimore-Miami game from Thursday night if you want another example.
The running into the punter penalty in the fourth quarter against Steelers defensive back Miles Killebrew was awful, too. If Detroit punter Jack Fox was contacted by Killebrew, it was barely. And Fox went down like he was hit by a truck.
The Lions converted the ensuing fourth-down try after the ball was moved up 5 yards. But they had to punt after the next sequence.
One official looked at the punter, thought about it for a few seconds and decided to throw his flag. Another official looking at the same thing, a few feet away, didn’t.
Great acting job. Horrible call. However, after the bad calls in favor of the Steelers in their win over the Bears, Steelers fans shouldn’t complain too much in this loss.
I mean “tie.” Tie! Dang it! I’m going to be doing that all week.
And you shouldn’t blame me if I do.