Steelers endure a grueling day against Cardinals in painful Week 13 defeat

The Steelers endured a disheartening 24-10 loss to the Cardinals, leaving a lingering sense of disappointment. The game, marked by rain delays, key injuries, and execution hiccups, turned into a chaotic mess.

Key injuries derail offense

Despite a promising start for the offense, with a strong focus on the middle and a well-executed play action resulting in a significant gain to George Pickens, red zone struggles persisted. The game took a turn for the worse when Kenny Pickett left due to an ankle injury, compounded by two rain delays that disrupted the team's momentum.

The running game, while successful, couldn't compensate for the offense becoming even more one-dimensional with Mitch Trubisky at the helm. The loss of left guard Isaac Seumalo to a shoulder injury added to the offensive woes. This offense was just never able to pick back up and that was one of the many reasons why this team lost on Sunday.

To make matters worse, the news of Pickett needing surgery and being out for 2-4 weeks puts a damper on the team's hopes for the playoffs. With a short week ahead and Trubisky taking the reins against a tough Patriots defense, the road to a playoff berth appears more challenging despite what New England's record suggests.

Defensive struggles arise vs. Cardinals

On Sunday, the defense initially performed well in the game until the unfortunate loss of Elandon Roberts, marking the turning point. The downward spiral continued when they conceded a 99-yard touchdown drive to end the first half, igniting further challenges for the defense. With the offense struggling to make an impact, the defense found itself on the field for more snaps, gradually wearing down.

Despite injuries to both TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick toughed it out and ended up finishing the game. Nevertheless, it remains inexcusable that a Cardinals team, boasting one of the NFL's weakest offensive lines, managed to run the ball with apparent ease against our defense.

For a team that typically relies on its defensive prowess to secure victories, Sunday's performance was nothing short of disgraceful. Moving forward a defense that believes in being the key to their victories should be looking forward to facing the Patriots on Thursday. This gives them a chance to channel any frustrations lingering from their embarrassing loss against the Cardinals.

Steelers were unprepared and outcoached

The overall performance was nothing short of a disaster across all three phases of the game. From untimely penalties to alignment issues and a lack of crucial adjustments, the Steelers displayed a glaring lack of readiness for one of the worst teams in football. Credit must be given to the Cardinals' coaching staff for outcoaching Mike Tomlin and exposing the Steelers for what they unfortunately seemed to be - frauds.