On a night in which history was made in many ways, the one that sticks out the most on this Friday is that which marks the first time since head coach Mike Tomlin took over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007 that his team would not be 6-2 at the halfway point of the season.
The Tennessee Titans saw to that as they snatched away a last-second victory on a 40-yard Rob Bironas field goal for only their second win on the season. It also dropped the Steelers to 2-3 on the year.
There are many things that can be pointed to as the scapegoat for the loss, but the reality is that no one moment dictated the outcome of the game. For example, how would the game have gone had the Titans not blocked a punt on the Steelers’ one-yard line?
What would have happened if Ben Roethlisberger had not forced a pass into tight coverage to Antonio Brown in the waning moments of the first half on what looked to be at least a field goal drive that instead ended in a field goal going the other way?
Or, how about if Keenan Lewis had not dropped an easy interception late in the game with the Steelers up by 7 points? Or if Maurkice Pouncey had not been injured on the first offensive play? Or if running backs Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman too had not been injured?
For all of the what ifs, the would haves, and the should haves, the Steelers know as well as any that there are no excuses for the loss; yet, to a man, they would take the blame. Lewis would take the blame for dropping the interception. Suisham would take the blame for missing a 54-yard field goal. Ike Taylor would take the blame for his defensive penalties.
Roethlisberger most of all would most willingly take the blame for the loss for throwing in between an open Baron Batch and Heath Miller on a 3rd and 7 from the Titans’ 36 yard line with just over a minute to play. This despite the fact that he had to pull a magic trick just to escape pressure before attempting to reset his feet to make the throw.
The pass, just as Suisham’s 4th field goal attempt, and just as the Steelers as a team, fell just short of its intended target this past Thursday night, though it is up to them to determine what this 2-3 start will mean in December. This slow start is out of their control; it is now part of history.
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