Steelers worst team in league
LONDON 鈥� One of the worst teams in the league.
鈥淎nd it hurts.鈥�
That鈥檚 what Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, 34-27, and fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1968, which was the year before the so-called modern era began with the hiring of Chuck Noll.
On Sunday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin warned that heads will roll this time, too, if he doesn鈥檛 see 鈥渢he belief and effort and continued improvement in detail,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f I don鈥檛, they ain鈥檛 going to be a part of it, whoever it may be. It鈥檚 just that simple.鈥�
Roethlisberger 鈥� who actually said 鈥淩ight now you could say we鈥檙e the worst team in the league鈥� 鈥� echoed Tomlin by saying, 鈥� We have to believe that we can still be a part of something special, and if you don鈥檛 believe that, then you don鈥檛 need to be on this team or be out here.鈥�
So, that was a warning first from the coach and then from the gutty quarterback who brought the Steelers back from a 17-point deficit to first-and-goal at the 6-yard line.
Does it mean there鈥檚 a problem in attitude?
鈥淚 think our attitude has started to change,鈥� said Roethlisberger. 鈥淚 just think that we need to continue to have the right attitude. By saying those things, I don鈥檛 say it in the terms of 鈥榮omeone needs to lose their job,鈥� but people need to continue to step up and be better. We need to be better as a whole team. We can鈥檛 have good parts on certain times, bad parts on certain times. We need to put it all together.鈥�
Roethlisberger dodged pass-rusher Jared Allen often enough in the fourth quarter to put his team in position to tie the game at the 6-yard line with 24 seconds remaining. He spiked the ball on first down, threw away the second-down pass while under heavy pressure, and on the final play was sacked by Everson Griffen and fumbled when Roethlisberger didn鈥檛 see anyone open.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 manage to get it out,鈥� Roethlisberger said. 鈥淥f course I鈥檓 holding it out like a loaf of bread because I鈥檓 trying not to take it to the ground. And they got it out late. I don鈥檛 know 鈥� even if I would鈥檝e held on to it 鈥� I don鈥檛 know if we would鈥檝e had enough time.鈥�
It concluded yet another impressive performance by Roethlisberger, who completed 36 of 51 passes for 383 yards, but he was sacked 5 times, and all of that pressure 鈥� most of it from Allen 鈥� led to an interception and the fumble. The Steelers couldn鈥檛 record a turnover themselves for the fourth consecutive week.
The defense uncharacteristically allowed big plays that led to 21 Minnesota points.
In the first quarter, Matt Cassel hit Greg Jennings for a 70-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Adrian Peterson ripped off a 60-yard run through right guard for a touchdown. Jerome Simpson caught a 51-yard pass from Cassel in the third quarter that set up Peterson鈥檚 7-yard touchdown run. Jennings鈥� 16-yard touchdown pass on the Vikings鈥� next series set the lead at 34-17 before the Steelers fought back.
鈥淲e just missed tackles,鈥� said free safety Ryan Clark. 鈥淚f you watch film around the NFL 鈥� even film of us 鈥� when you miss tackles, you have to have other people coming to the ball to make them. To have plays where people are overrunning and you miss three or four tackles on the play, that鈥檚 how you get the big plays, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing. We鈥檝e had situations where individuals have missed tackles, but not where countless guys are missing them and allowing big plays to happen. We have to find a way to put that fire out. I think it鈥檚 about getting more people to the ball. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 lack of effort. I think it鈥檚 us not doing the things we need to do to get people on the ground.鈥�
Cornerback Cortez Allen, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, missed tackling Jennings on the first touchdown and was also beaten by Jennings on the final Vikings score.
鈥淭he main thing is I鈥檝e got to make my tackles and I鈥檝e got to be better in coverage,鈥� said Allen. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I鈥檝e got to correct, and I will correct because I don鈥檛 like this feeling.鈥�
Clark was asked if the losing streak 鈥� the Steelers have lost nine of their last 11 games and also all four preseason games 鈥� has become a psychological snowball.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about getting off the snide,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淚鈥檓 insane enough and crazy enough 鈥� even at 0-3 and the position we were in 鈥� that when the offense was driving the ball, I was thinking to myself 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to win this game.鈥�
鈥淚 think as long as we still have that feeling as a team, that we feel we can overcome most things to win, things will start changing.鈥�
Clark said the key is to have fun, but how much fun can be had at 0-4?
鈥淵ou have to understand the position you鈥檙e in. That鈥檚 first and foremost,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淵ou have to understand where you are as a team. More than understanding where you are as a team, you have to understand why you鈥檙e there as a team. That鈥檚 the thing we need to go back and look at. It鈥檚 embarrassing what we did defensively. Giving up the long play to Greg Jennings, then Adrian busting a play, and we had another play in the second half, it鈥檚 embarrassing. But be positive in that we fought, man. We had a chance to lay down. Guys had a chance to not compete, and they didn鈥檛 do that on either side of the ball or special teams, so that鈥檚 promising to leave here knowing that this team is going to fight. But it鈥檚 about execution.
鈥淒on鈥檛 get it wrong: It鈥檚 about executing, and we aren鈥檛 executing at a high enough level to win games in the NFL.鈥�