Ron Cook: Steelers offense, not just defense, at fault for loss to Patriots

Blame the defense all you want. Blame it for watching Tom Brady throw four touchdown passes, for allowing Rob Gronkowski to run freely in the secondary, for turning journeyman back Dion Lewis into a running and receiving threat. But if I had told you before the game Thursday night that the defense would hold the world champion New England Patriots to 28 points, would you not have liked the Steelers’ chances?

They had an opportunity to win the game and spoil the Patriots’ coming-out party, but their offense let them down. The offense deserves just as much blame as the defense for the 28-21 loss. It is too good to score just 21 points against a weak Patriots defense. It should have scored at least 31 points.

The good news is there were encouraging signs the Steelers offense will get to that point soon, perhaps as early as next Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers come to Heinz Field, certainly by the following Sunday when running back Le’Veon Bell returns from a two-game suspension to play against the St. Louis Rams. Running back DeAngelo Williams was right, at least to a point, when he said, “I saw a lot of good stuff out of this team.” The offense finished with 464 yards, 100 more than the Patriots. It had a 300-yard passer in Ben Roethlisberger, a 100-yard rusher in Williams and a 100-yard receiver in Antonio Brown. It had a 32:05-27:55 edge in possession time. It had just one turnover.

Brown was sensational as always against a Patriots defense that was willing to give up the run and routinely sold out to stop the pass. Brown had nine catches for 133 yards and had a 29-yard catch nullified by an illegal-use-of-hands penalty against tackle Kelvin Beachum.

Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler was a Super Bowl hero last season in the team’s win against the Seattle Seahawks, but he was mostly toast against Brown, whose best catch resulted in a 10-yard gain after he yanked the ball from Butler’s hands. Brown’s strength and quickness are phenomenal.

“He’s so special,” Roethlisberger said.

“I think (opponents) see a small guy and they just think he’s not very tough. He’s a tough son of gun. If you see him put the work in, he’s always lifting and doing things. He carries around a squeeze ball. He’s literally always doing something, working on his forearms and his grip.”

There might not be a more exciting player in the NFL than Brown OK, other than the freakish Gronkowski even if Brown’s excessive celebrations after big plays can be obnoxious. So it was after he caught an 11-yard touchdown pass Thursday night with :02 left, long after the fight had been decided. I suppose you will live with that as long as he keeps making those wonderful plays.

Williams also had a big night filling in for Bell. He rushed for 127 yards on 21 carries, prompting guard Ramon Foster to gush, “I’m sure the fantasy guys wish they had started him tonight.” Williams, for his part, is happy he’s found a new home after being released after last season by the Carolina Panthers, his first and only NFL team. “I think I am truly one of those guys that’s one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” he said.

Unfortunately for the Steelers offense, all of the good plays by Brown and Williams were trumped by mistakes and a couple of questionable coaching decisions.

Kicker Josh Scobee missed field goals of 44 and 46 yards. Those were killers. Tackle Marcus Gilbert was called for holding. Beachum, who had a really rough night, gave up a sack, was inexcusably penalized for a false start at the Patriots 1 and was called for an illegal formation penalty in addition to the penalty that wiped out Brown’s big gain. Center Cody Wallace, in for injured Maurkice Pouncey, allowed a sack and was penalized for holding. Roethlisberger threw an interception. Wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, in for suspended Martavis Bryant, failed to get his right foot inbounds when he unnecessarily went down to his knees to cradle in what should have been a 26-yard touchdown pass. Wide receiver Markus Wheaton, who made a terrific 26-yard sideline catch, couldn’t make a diving catch for a 50-plus-yard gain despite the ball hitting both hands. Even Heath Miller uncharacteristically ran a 17-yard route on a third-and-18 play.

Then, there were the coaching blunders. The Steelers had gains of 18, 9, 4, 14 and 11 yards on the first five plays of the game to get a first down at the Patriots 24. They were rolling. That’s when they decided to call a trick-play pass by Brown, who was sacked for an 8-yard loss. It made no sense. Nor did the fact they failed to use all of their timeouts in the final minute of the first half. They still might have had to settle for a Scobee field goal if they had, but they would have given themselves a better shot at a touchdown.

First-game mistakes.

Correctable mistakes.

At least that was the feeling in the Steelers locker room after the game.

“Obviously, the loss is as bad as it gets, but the feeling, even right now, is we can take more positive from it than just a loss,” Roethlisberger said. “This is a small step in a long journey. We need to stay together and get better. I think we will do that.”

It’s the Steelers’ best chance for a winning season.

It’s their only chance, actually.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Ron Cook is a columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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