It was a must-win for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The Steelers needed a victory to keep an outside shot at the playoffs alive in 2022 at home in front of a rabid crowd. Heading into the home game, things were breaking right for the black and gold. Lamar Jackson was going to miss the game and a backup quarterback, Tyler Huntley that the Steelers had experience against was going to start the game.
The Ravens quarterback dilemma gave the Steelers a pivotal advantage that oddsmakers picked up on heading into the key AFC North battle. Pittsburgh’s chances swung from four-point underdogs to slight favorites and as usual in a big game the team is expected to win. They came out flat and fell behind by 10 points early. Falling into deep holes in big games they are expected to win has become Mike Tomlin’s calling card.
The Steelers also lost their rookie quarterback early in the game to an illegal hit that resulted in Kenny Pickett leaving the game. It was one series too late as he incredibly fooled someone in the concussion protocol into giving him back a helmet and the Steelers and the NFL luckily avoided a repeat of the Tua Tagovailoa incident earlier this season. Pickett was removed after his second series and Mitch Trubisky was tasked with leading the offense the rest of the way.
The Steelers were in a deep hole with a backup quarterback, but all was not lost for Pittsburgh. Matt Canada reached into his bag of tricks and Trubisky, who stared down receivers all day, unleashed to the sublime rookie George Pickens proving that Canada did indeed know who wore number 14 in the program for the Steelers. After two targets to Pickens got them to the one-yard line, he called for a Najee Harris plunge that resulted in a touchdown that got the Steelers back to a 10-7 deficit.
Trubisky struggled mightily from that point on and threw two key interceptions in the first half that gave the Ravens the ball back deep inside scoring territory. Then the worst thing in the world happened to the Steelers. Canada and presumably Tomlin made halftime adjustments. The struggling offense that had turned the ball over multiple times decided that returning to the strategy of ignoring playmakers was the way to go in a second half that would have required them to score 14 points to win the game.
Canada reached deep into his cutesy bag of tricks and decided he would out-think the Baltimore Ravens in the second half. Trubisky’s two interceptions in the first half came when they were targeting Pat Freiermuth just outside the red zone. He did the last thing anyone would expect, he essentially sidelined Freiermuth, Pickens and Harris for most of the second half. Instead of allowing the Steelers best three playmakers on offense to carry the team, Canada turned it over to the backups with the season on the line.
The Steelers for long stretches had Diontae Johnson, Steven Sims, Gunner Olszewski and Miles Boykin on the field again. Instead of Harris, Benny Snell saw significant action ahead of the dynamite Jaylen Warren and Harris on a pivotal third quarter drive that ended up in a force shot play to Johnson. When the offense retook the field, Canada went away from Snell and decided that Warren should probably get a few plays. The Steelers moved the ball into field goal range during Warren’s drive, but the attempt was unfortunately blocked.
Canada should be coaching special teams on a Pop Warner team instead of coordinating a professional football offense. In the NFL, there is no rule that says everyone has to play. They don’t have a team mom and the Steelers don’t hand out orange slices and juice boxes. Although, in fairness, the training staff would probably provide them if players asked. The Steelers offensive coordinator in the biggest game of the season was forced to play with his backup quarterback. It was unfortunate and unavoidable, but it wasn’t a sign to turn it over to the second string offense.
Pickens was only targeted twice against the Atlanta Falcons for two yards. This week, Pickens seemed to be able to catch the ball over anyone who covered him. So, after three first half targets that led to a 42-yard completion, a pass interference in the end zone and a 25-yard completion, the Steelers targeted him one more time in the entire game. With :21 seconds left in the third quarter, Trubisky hooked up with the Georgia rookie for 11 yards on his final touch against the Ravens.
This lack of targets was despite the obvious, repeated one on one coverage that he found himself in play after play. Trubisky never even looked at the rookie during the fourth quarter. It was obvious that when the ball was snapped, Trubisky stared down Johnson and even on his touchdown pass to Freiermuth, he noticeably did not even look to Pickens’ side of the field. Pickens’ routes are at best the third option when he was on the field in the second half against the Ravens.
Canada designed plays for Zach Gentry, Steven Sims and Gunner Olszewski when he should have been targeting the Steelers best offensive playmakers. Sims was targeted more than Pickens and despite four catches to Pickens’ three, he didn’t produce half the yards. The Ravens played to their strengths, the Steelers tied their hands behind their backs offensively and attempted to prove to the NFL that Canada was a genius.
He isn’t and now they aren’t likely going to the playoffs. The Steelers are only playing to keep the national media’s lone talking point they care about alive. Tomlin has never had a losing season. The standard is the standard in Pittsburgh, just ask the head coach. The problem is that Tomlin and Canada think the standard is barely reaching .500 and when they do sneak into the playoffs, getting blown out.
In fairness, Tomlin and Canada did give Steelers fans an early Christmas present. The pair one upped the Grinch and stole Christmas playoff hopes in Pittsburgh two weeks before the holiday. It doesn’t rhyme or have a catchy soundtrack, but it sure does stink.
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