Steelers QB report card: Turnovers doom Mitch Trubisky vs Ravens

The Steelers had to go to Mitch Trubisky against the Ravens after an injury to Kenny Pickett. Here is how he doomed their chances of winning.

The Steelers fell 16-14 to the Ravens on Sunday, ending their brief winning streak and likely any hope of a playoff berth. There will be plenty of blame to be thrown around, but the play of backup QB Mitch Trubisky is where the problems started.

Trubisky was forced into action after Kenny Pickett was ruled out due to a possible concussion, and he quickly moved the offense down the field for a touchdown on his first possession. What happened from there was a microcosm of his NFL career. Here is how he performed against the Ravens.

Steelers Trubisky makes big plays and big mistakes

Right away, Mitch Trubisky tried to seize his opportunity to play with Pickett sidelined. He led a five-play, 64-yard touchdown drive that included a 42-yard completion to George Pickens. That cut the Ravens lead to 10-7. The defense forced a turnover on downs the next drive, and Trubisky was once again moving the offense down the field. Unfortunately, he would throw a pass right to Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith in the redzone ending that scoring opportunity. On his next drive now down 13-7, he once again moved the ball effectively before throwing a pass right to the Ravens other starting linebacker Patrick Queen.

The Steelers were in field goal range at the time of both picks, so at minimum, the offense left six points off the board in a six-point game. After exchanging punts to start the second half, Trubisky threw an ill-advised deep ball right into the hands of Ravens safety Marcus Williams for his third pick of the game.

Trubisky would ultimately get the Steelers in the end zone to make it a 16-14 game with just over two minutes left, but the Ravens ran the clock out and he never got the chance for a game-winning drive. He finished 22 of 30 for 276 yards, one TD, and three interceptions. If you take out the interceptions, it would be the best game any QB has played this year for the Steelers. That is the issue with Trubisky, however.

Mitch Trubisky is not the starter for a reason

The problem with Trusbisky as a player is very simple: his decision-making. When he was struggling to start the year, it was because he was playing ultra-conservative to try and avoid the mistakes he has consistently made during his career. Now that he is no longer playing for his job, you saw what he is capable of from both a good and bad perspective. At his best, he is extending plays and pushing the ball down the field. When he does that, however, he also forces passes that he had no business throwing.

The rollercoaster nature of his play makes him an interesting backup but a frustrating starter. Hopefully, Steelers fans realize why Pickett was made the starter and that he needs to play as soon as he is healthy. It may even be fair to wonder if Mason Rudolph deserves a chance to play if Pickett isn’t ready next week. I hope Kenny is healthy enough to play, but two concussions in one season is concerning. Let me know who you think should start if Pickett is out in the comments below!

Grade: D