Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 miscues that led to the loss in Denver

Lack of a Pass Rush

The Steelers’ bread and butter on defense lately has been their pass rush. T.J. Watt and company have been getting to the quarterback like crazy all season and as we all know, a great pass rush can help hide a struggling secondary.

Well, the Steelers didn’t have a pass rush in Denver. They recorded two sacks, one of which was a clutch sack by Javon Hargrave that gave the offense a chance to tie at  the end of the game. Outside of that, Case Keenum stood upright most of the afternoon.

Even when the Steelers are sacking the quarterback, they at least usually make life uncomfortable for the opposing quarterback. This didn’t happen today. Bud Dupree couldn’t get pressure from the weak side like he usually does and T.J. Watt was playing with an injured wrist that happened early in the game. There was a lack of pressure up the middle, and when there was, it was pretty easy for Keenum to maneuver in the pocket.

It was unfair to ask for the defense to keep bailing out the offense that kept turning the ball over and giving away points, but the defense wasn’t going to be successful without a pass rush. it’s what the Steelers rely on for the remainder of their defense. Anyone remember the loss to Jacksonville in the playoffs last year? Without a pass rush, even Blake Bortles can make his reads and throw the ball well. Case Keenum, who has Emmanuel Sanders at his disposal, is going to make the defense pay even more without any pressure.