Pittsburgh's tackling was as pitiful as ever
It's one thing to lose a playoff game to a good team in a hard-fought battle. It's another thing to lose a playoff game thanks to poor tackling and the inability to get the opposing offense off the field. Pittsburgh's defense showcased the latter in their ugly Wild Card defeat to the Bills.
The Steelers did a serviceable job containing Josh Allen and the passing game. They held Allen to just 6.8 yards per attempt (a mark that was better than Rudolph's, but still a win for Pittsburgh's defense). However, their inability to tackle made fans want to pull their hair out.
Buffalo's offensive line bullied Pittsburgh's defensive front in this contest. Once they snuck past the first line of defense in players like Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton, it was as simple as making backup linebackers and safeties miss tackles. Both Myles Jack and Mykal Walker looked like they had no business playing in this playoff contest, and they were exposed often on the ground.
By the end of the night, the Bills had carried the ball 34 times for 179 yards (5.3 yards per attempt) against the Steelers' defense. Josh Allen chipped in 74 yards and a rushing score on 8 carries. Their inability to get Buffalo's offense off the field late in the fourth quarter cost them a shot at a potential game-tying drive.
The Bills would eventually run away with this contest, but the Steelers would have at least had a chance if their tackling wasn't so poor in this one.