Pittsburgh Steelers fans always had to dread this period when the NFL announced each team’s schedule for 2024. It’s not an issue with the Steelers’ opponents, it’s an issue with the lack of rest they received. They just finished three games in 11 days. It might be easy to use that as an excuse for the 29-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but Alex Highsmith doesn’t believe it affected the outcome.
“They had to deal with that, too,” Highsmith said after the Steelers’ third straight loss on KDKA’s postgame show. “They had a short week just like the rest of us. They had to come along halfway. There’s no excuse for what happened today. We just put our heads down and got to work.” I have to.”
Highsmith is right. The Chiefs played in the same situation as the Steelers. The previous opponents may not have been as good, but that’s the NFL. Players are going to get hurt in every game. The Steelers had their own problems beyond their schedule, and they had no control over them.
For example, their team doesn’t seem to be on the same page. Several players have expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s recent play. The Steelers hold themselves to high standards, but they haven’t lived up to them lately. That applies to both offense and defense.
The Steelers defense wasn’t necessarily the worst unit, but it was the Steelers defense that was truly disappointing. For most of this season, they played like perhaps the best defense in the NFL. But miscommunication, missed tackles and overall sloppiness cost them their lives. Most of the time they seemed lost.
The Steelers’ offense hasn’t gotten much better. Although we brought back George Pickens this week, Sales are still stagnant Any of their momentum. It feels like every time they do something right, they follow it up with three painstaking moves. Nothing clicks.
So the only thing the Steelers have to blame for this string of losses is the schedule. You could say they had a chance to win every game. They just couldn’t seem to capitalize on it at the right time.
With one game left in the regular season, the Steelers could still prove they’re not as bad as they seem. They’ll get plenty of rest before facing the Cincinnati Bengals, and with any luck, they’ll be able to iron out some of the wrinkles. If you don’t, you may have a hard time sledding in the future.
