The Pittsburgh Steelers could not stop the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, losing 20-17. Both teams started slowly, but Pittsburgh's offense came alive and scored in the second half to take the lead 17-13. Then, with only seconds left, the Cowboys drove down and scored.
The loss was especially frustrating because Pittsburgh's highly-rated defense forced three Cowboys turnovers, but couldn't stop them on the final drive. While the offense put enough points on the board before that final Dallas drive, they also couldn't capitalize upon those turnovers. After the game, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was heavily criticized for many of the decisions made during the game.
Those included wide receiver George Pickens only playing a portion of his normal snaps, the nonexistent run game, and the decision to avoid the plays that got them wins in the first three games of the season. Tomlin was also on the hot seat for his game management, particularly for a late fourth-and-one timeout that gave Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy time to adjust and convert.
After the game was over, Tomlin said he had no regrets about using that timeout. Still, former two-time Super Bowl winner Chris Long, who played defensive end mostly for the Philadelphia Eagles, disagreed.
On his podcast, Green Light with Chris Long, the son of the legendary Howie Long criticized what the Steelers have been doing, and in particular, the way Tomlin used his timeouts.
"Had the defense not giving up that drive last week, we're saying, 'Hey, Justin Fields finds a way to deliver again.' He found a way to deliver again, but the defense did not deliver. And Tomlin thought f***ing timeouts were a tax write-off. Like, what are we doing?"
The fourth down timeout was actually one of two questionable timeouts in that fourth quarter. The first was to get rookie Beanie Bishop Jr. off the field so they did not get a penalty for having 12 men on the field. The second was the one that helped Dallas convert towards the end of the game. He had so much trust in his defense that he didn't even consider saving those for his offense.
This is hardly the first criticism about Tomlin's game management. Similar complaints were made about the timeouts he called during the loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He had a timeout he could have used in that game, but instead chose to keep it in his "hip pocket."
Steelers Need To Pull It Out Against The Raiders
The Steelers head out West to face the Las Vegas Raiders for Week 6, and many, including Long, are calling it a must-win. The Steelers are highly favored to beat the Raiders, but they were also expected to beat the Colts and Cowboys.
"This is a must-win for Pittsburgh. I don't wanna say must-win, but it is a must-win. It's a f***ing must-win. Because if you wanna go where you need to go, you got to beat the teams you're supposed to beat. This is a team you're supposed to be able to out-physical. You got to win this game."
Despite the many question marks, Pittsburgh is a better team on paper than the Raiders. The Steelers' defense needs to bounce back from the malfunctions against the Cowboys to show that they can handle Vegas and their backup quarterback, Aidan O'Connell -- who will be playing for the benched Gardner Minshew.
On the offensive side of the ball, Fields must show the Steelers why he deserves to stay the starting quarterback. It should help that Pickens will be looking for a comeback after being "load managed" during Week 5. Hopefully, getting Pickens more involved will also help the running game get going.
