The Steelers struggled out of the gate and would eventually seal their fate as they fell to the Houston Texans by a score of 23-6.
With the loss, the Steelers fall to 2-2 for the season. Even with this, the overall performance of the team was the biggest story of the game, as both sides of the ball struggled. So, what did we learn from this week's loss to the Texans?
What Did We Learn After Week 4?
Tomlin's Game Preparation Is Questionable
We saw this in Week 1, and it played out the same way in Week 4. The defense was fully exposed, especially in the middle, which rookie C.J. Stroud exploited. Coming into this game, the defense led the league in sacks and turnovers, yet failed to generate anything on this day. On offense, it was the same old story: poor blocking up front, predicatable play-calling, and little to no rhythm. None of the units were ready to perform, which falls on one person, head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Offense Is A Major Problem
You know it's bad when your quarterback has accumulated a total of 35 passing yards before the end of the half. In general, the schemes put forth by Matt Canada make little to no sense. One has to wonder when he would expect Kenny Pickett to change the plays in the huddle. In general,they were relying on chunk yardage while being predictable at the same time, both receipes for the disaster. In the second half, they opened up a little, but it was not enough. It would be easy to solely blame Canada, but the offensive line did not help matters by consistently losing battles upfront. The offense is a major issue and has played the role of the anchor bringing this team down.
Pickett Is Broken
If you watched the visual of quarterback Kenny Pickett leaving the game in the fourth quarter, it simply looked like a broken man. This season has seemingly taken its toll on his confidence and on his spirit. In a case like this, something big needs to change behind the scenes. The greater majority believes that replacing Canada might be the answer. Yet, it will likely take more than a coaching change to see where he may be mentally.
The Patrick Peterson Experiment Should End
This season in general has been a struggle for the potential Hall-of-Fame veteran. If one were to make a case for making rookie Joey Porter Jr. the starter, it would be the visual of Texans receiver Nico Collins making him look foolish on his 52-yard touchdown late in the contest. Peterson has had a great career, but they should no longer delude themselves as to where he is at this point in his career.