December has always been a huge month to filter out which NFL teams are contenders or pretenders. Entering this game at 7-4, the Pittsburgh Steelers figured out ways to win all season long and even if it wasn't pretty, they still got the job done. Unfortunately, that luck ran out in Week 13.
The Steelers lost to the Arizona Cardinals 24-10 in another embarrassing loss where everything that went wrong, actually did. There were a few extensive game delays due to pouring rain and thunderstorms on top of an unfortunate ankle injury to starting quarterback Kenny Pickett which completely threw the offense off into disarray.
Pickett got hurt in the first half on the same ankle that's been giving him lingering problems over the last few weeks. Hopefully, it's nothing too serious and he'll be able to get back into action soon as it's a short week for the Steelers. They welcome the New England Patriots to Acrisure Stadium in Week 14 as they'll be the featured Thursday Night Football game.
Steelers start December off with a loss to Cardinals in Week 13
At this point, there is some serious concern with the Steelers' offense that if this keeps up, will undoubtedly be the main focus to address in the offseason. This offense is allergic to scoring touchdowns consistently and it shows. Their offensive playcalling has been terrible and even without Matt Canada running the show, it's still terrible.
Pickett might not be the long-term franchise quarterback the Steelers are looking for. They need more offensive weapons at wide receiver and even their rushing attack has been lackluster. Overall, they need significant upgrades on the majority of their offense to get things back to a normal state. Even their offensive line needs better players because pass protection has also been abysmal.
With a short week and huge question marks when it comes to the offensive side of the football, the Steelers are on the outside looking in. The AFC North is one of the toughest divisions in the NFL and unfortunately, they simply aren't talented enough to make a serious run this season.
It's a shame since their defense has been good throughout the year but at the end of the day, if you're not scoring touchdowns, you're not winning football games. It's as simple as that and unfortunately, the Steelers haven't been able to get the job done at all when it comes to that very important part of playing competitive, successful football.