4 takeaways from the Steelers blowout loss to the Patriots

The Steelers were utterly humiliated by the Patriots on Sunday Night Football to open the season. Here are four takeaways from the nearly unwatchable game.

Pittsburgh was recently massacred by New England on Sunday Night Football. The Patriots 33-3 victory over the Steelers was shameful, and fans had a hard time stomaching through the second half of the game.

The Steelers are known for starting the season off slow. They tied the Browns in week one of 2018 when Pittsburgh’s offense turned the ball over 6 times. But this loss to New England takes their slow start to a whole new level.

Here are four takeaways from the Steelers blowout loss to the Patriots:

Donte Moncrief is not the answer

We can make excuses all we want, but the fact of the matter is that there is a reason this guy is on his 3rd team in 3 years. Moncrief wasn’t just bad on Sunday night, he was downright miserable – catching just 3 of 7 targets for a whopping 10 yards.

No receiver was particularly good against the Pats, but Moncrief takes the cake. He couldn’t reel in three passes that hit him right between the numbers. I know it’s just one performance, but it may be time for the Steelers to deploy their young receivers, and leave the veteran on the bench.

Keith Butler had no answer for Patriots offense

If there was one thing we learned from the Steelers week one loss, it’s that defensive coordinator, Keith Butler, had no answer for the Patriots offense. Tom Brady was constantly given the matchups he wanted, and players like Mark Barron and Kameron Kelly were picked on often.

Even 1st round picks Terrell Edmunds and Devin Bush were exposed in this game. Butler needs to make some adjustments quick, or he will be sitting firmly in the hot seat.

Ben Roethlisberger needs to shake off the rust

I’m not going to put the blame all on Ben here. The receivers also had a pathetic night and failed to create much separation against New England’s defensive backs. However, Roethlisberger was far from good.

Ben completed just 27 of 47 passes (57 percent) for a dismal 5.9 yards per attempt. He also threw an interception on what was probably his fifth overthrow downfield on the night and he didn’t add a single touchdown on offense.

Big Ben’s 18.2 quarterback rating (later updated to 20.9) was the worst he has had in a game since facing the Bills on the road in 2016. He needs to shake the rust off quick if the Steelers want to be contenders this year.

The Steelers were unprepared, as usual

I can understand losing to New England on the road. The Steelers haven’t been able to win in Foxborough since before Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger were with the team. However, losing by 30 points is something else entirely.

Pittsburgh had a full offseason to prepare for the New England Patriots, yet they looked like they didn’t have a clue what they were doing. Bill Belichick’s team was able to manipulate players all over the field. Defensively, the Patriots knew every scripted play the Steelers drew up before it even happened.

Mike Tomlin should be very embarrassed by his team after Sunday night’s dreadful performance. If the Steelers get a chance to face New England in the post-season, let’s hope Pittsburgh has learned from their mistakes.