Pittsburgh Steelers Week 12 Winners and Losers
Nov 30, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) looks on from the sidelines against the New Orleans Saints during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Saints won 35-32. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Losers
Defensive Secondary
I counted five pass plays of 20 yards or greater. Big plays and missed interceptions continue to plague the secondary. Polamalu’s return was less than memorable. William Gay who several weeks ago looked to be the lone bright spot can’t seem to find his place and looks lost. The secondary was a known liability at the beginning of the season but this is horrible.
Linebackers
The secondary is relying on pressure to have any hope of keeping games close. I counted one sack and four QB pressures. That is not going to get it done.
The hand may have affected him his throwing ability, but it sure didn’t affect his decision making. He was dismal, going 8-22 at one point with a QB rating of 35. The pass to DHB was a ball thrown up for grabs just hoping it would turn out ok. It didn’t, and the problem as I see it is that’s the third straight game with a dumb throw with the same result. If you can’t hit anyone more than fifteen yards down the field (which he couldn’t after the first quarter) then change your play calling or take yourself out of the game. Ben was visibly off and did the team no favors yesterday.
The Steelers are 7-5, and still not out of it. This weekend is do or die against Cincinnati. Here we go Steelers!