Pittsburgh – Ben Rothlisberger was blunt in his self-assessment after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second straight loss, losing 26-15 to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.
“If I don’t play enough football, I have to hang on to it,” he said. “I still feel like I can do enough to win this team football. I will do everything I can to get us back on track.”
The 38-year-old quarterback completed 187 yards, 21 of 37 attempts for two touchdowns and two interceptions, including the first half of 2018, including the first six.
Another week of predictable offense led to explosive play by the opposing defense, and the Steelers fell into the hands of the Bills, who fell 11-2. The defense of the bills was across short, quick passes that did not move the ball on the field. The Steelers averaged 4.1 yards per game.
“We need to win more possession falls, so we have to keep the ball higher and give us more chances,” coach Mike Tomlin said, explaining why the Steelers didn’t stretch the field too much. “The more events you get, the more opportunities you have to create some of the dynamic plays you suggest. It starts by staying on schedule first and having the ball. We haven’t done enough now. It makes some of the other discussions more complicated.”
Although James Connor and center Marquis Bouncy started running back from the Reserve / Govt-19 list after two games, the run was not based on the game, including 17 for 47 yards and 10 for 10 by Connor. In the last two games, the Steelers have combined for 68 quick yards at a rate of 2.2 yards in 31 attempts. Meanwhile, the same team rushed at least 100 yards in the first five games of the season. From the 7th week, the Steelers have sprinted up to 100 yards once in eight games. The Steelers are in the emergency yards for a game in the NFL and in a place of emergency from the 7th week.
“Defense can play fast if you can’t run the ball,” Rothlisberger said. “We have to do better at being a more consistent offense. We have to do better at executing so-called plays.”
In the passing game, the Steelers continued to have trouble with drops. Wide receiver Dionde Johnson had two drops in the first two series and was benched until the second half.
Despite the Steelers taking a 7-0 lead, Cameron Sutton’s second redemption was transferred from Rothlisberger to James Washington as a touchdown, but the Bills shifted the pace in their favor by stopping Rothlisberger just before half-time. A pass aimed at Juju Smith-Schuster was picked up by Darren Johnson and turned 51 yards, giving the Bills a 9-7 lead at the break.
Pills followed that score with back-to-back touches in throwing from Josh Allen to Stephen Dix and Gabriel Davis to open in the third quarter.
“We did some drama in the first half,” Tomlin said. “Defensively, they did a few plays. Their plays are more important than ours. That Big-Six is remarkable play, so you have to give them credit.”
The Steelers pulled into a score in the fourth quarter, with Rothlisberger planning a 4-minute, 38-second, 10-play scoring drive that ended with a touchdown to Smith-Schuster.
But after security bills became a field goal, the Steelers’ offense responded with a narrow possession, which ended with Rothlisberger’s second interception of the night.
“We have to look in the mirror and it starts with me,” Rothlisberger said. “I want to play better football because every game has the ball in my hand. When it’s in my hand, I have to make the best decision. Right now, I’m not playing enough football to win.”
With this loss, the Steelers continued the setback that began with a close victory over the Baltimore Ravens 12 days ago and continued with a defeat to the Washington football team.
The Steelers became the sixth team in NFL history to lose consecutive games after starting the season 11-0 or more. Of the previous five teams, only the 2009 Saints and the 1998 Broncos won the Super Bowl.
“We lost two,” Rothlisberger said. “We’re facing some misery, we’re not hitting the panic button. Dangerously, we’re not very good. Right now, we’re not playing good football, it starts with me. So we all have to look inside the mirror. It starts with me, we all have to be better. I think we will be.
“I think it’s a team, it’s flexible, and it’s flexible and understands what it takes to win football, and it’s time of year, and the way we play now is unacceptable.”
With the eruption of COVID-19 in the Baltimore system, the Ravens game lost three game extensions to the Bills in 12 days with three modifications. The Steelers got permission from the league to go buffalo early Sunday morning to get more prep time in Pittsburgh.
Now, for the first time since playing Jacksonville in its 11th week, the Steelers have a normal week of game preparation. They are scheduled to play Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, which will give them a chance to address a series of offensive deficiencies and the chance to get injured defensive backs like Joe Hayden back into the mix.
“We need to find a way to gather ourselves and make enough plays, but we don’t,” Tomlin said. “We accept responsibility for that and prepare for our next opportunity.”