Margin of error grows slim for inconsistent Steelers
PITTSBURGH 鈥� After losing their third straight game and seeing their lead atop the AFC North dwindle away, the mood in the Steelers locker room is somewhat predictable.
鈥淢an, frustrated, (ticked),鈥� linebacker Arthur Moats said on Monday. 鈥淐an I say 鈥�(ticked)?'鈥�
Yes, you can. In fact, some are saying a lot worse about the underachieving Steelers after their 21-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
The good news for the Steelers is that, with eight games remaining, there is still plenty of football to be played 鈥� still plenty of time to correct what鈥檚 put them in their current predicament.
Against Baltimore, it was an ineffective offense and shoddy special teams that cost them.
Before that, it was a defense that failed miserably in stopping the run.
Through eight games of the season, the Steelers have yet to put their best 60 minutes of football together. The only consistent thing about them has been their inconsistency.
鈥淲e know the talent we have, how good we can be and we鈥檝e shown glimpses of that,鈥� Moats said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just been consistency and that鈥檚 the issue. From that standpoint, we鈥檙e frustrated.
鈥淲e know this is self-inflicted. We know what we鈥檝e done but the bright side is that we know we can fix it. It鈥檚 just on us to do it.鈥�
The Steelers were able to do it last season. They were 4-4 at the same point in 2015 and won six of their final eight games and came within a fumble and 10 minutes from advancing to the AFC championship game.
They will likely have to pull off a similar record over the next eight weeks to reach the postseason.
Clearly, the offense is capable of carrying the Steelers into late January and possibly February, but for all the talent on that side of the ball, it鈥檚 yet to show. Again, it鈥檚 been consistency. The Steelers have averaged 34 points in their four wins and 12 points in their four losses. There鈥檚 been no happy medium.
They entered the season with talk of being one of the NFL鈥檚 best all-time offenses, but are ranked outside the top 10. They鈥檙e 14th in third-down efficiency (40.6) and 23rd in time of possession (29:32).
鈥淥ur goal is to go out there and score 30 points every time we step on the field,鈥� said tight end Jesse James. 鈥淲e feel very good in that and being able to accomplish that goal every time we鈥檙e out there. But we don鈥檛 do it enough and we鈥檙e inconsistent in that manner of putting points on the board. We鈥檙e not out there enough, struggling on third down and just don鈥檛 get enough plays to put up as may points as you want.鈥�
On the other side of the ball, the defense is coming off perhaps it鈥檚 best game of the season, even if it was against a pedestrian Baltimore offense. The Steelers limited the Ravens to just 50 rushing yards and recorded three sacks and an interception, the first for a Pittsburgh defensive back this season. But if they don鈥檛 give up a 95-yard catch-and-run to Mike Wallace in the first quarter, maybe it鈥檚 a different game.
鈥淲e just have to continue to hammer home doing your job, doing it consistently, doing it every time,鈥� said Moats. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something you can say 100 times, but all it takes is one or two times not doing it.
鈥淎ll it takes is one or two plays and that makes it a bad day. It鈥檚 up to us to minimize those and get them out of there.鈥�
Yes, there is still time for the Steelers to right this season that threatens to careen out of control with the 7-1 Dallas Cowboys coming to Pittsburgh, followed by four of their next five on the road, where they are a dismal 1-3. But time is running out and the margin for error is slim.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the Pittsburgh Steelers and we know that what we鈥檝e put out so far is not our Steelers football,鈥� said cornerback Ross Cockrell. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to the rest of the season and being able to change that. Because what matters is now and these last eight games.鈥�