PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Missed opportunities.
While in the previous six playoff games it was about not really having a chance, the Steelers had plenty of them, but couldn’t finish them Monday night in a 30-6 season-ending loss to Houston.
“We didn’t capitalize off of turnovers in the first half,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “We were a plus two and still down by a point at the half and that’s just not a good sign.”
“We had some opportunities, but either drops or pressure or just total missed assignments, or not the right throw,” said Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. “We had a lot of chances. We had plays set up, then missed assignments. We had opportunities to take shots, but not enough time. Against a good defense like this you are not going to get many opportunities, when you get them, you got to make the most of them.”
1st drive
· Steelers hit a pair of chunk plays to move into Houston territory on the first drive, but stalled on the next three plays
2nd drive
· 1st and 10 at the Houston 21, Steelers had to settle for a field
3rd drive
· Following a strip sack by Jack Sawyer (recovered by Yahya Black), Steelers started with the ball on its own 44-yard line and went 3 and out including a potential huge play to DK Metcalf, a ball Metcalf dropped
5th drive
· This time a Keeanu Benton strip sack recovered by TJ Watt gave the Steelers the ball at the Houston 21, over the next 8 plays the Steelers gained 4 yards and got another field goal from Chris Boswell
Steelers went the entire first half without converting a third down.
“We just beat ourselves really,” said receiver Calvin Austin. “Whether it was penalties, missed assignments, routes, all of the above. We just didn’t execute when it mattered most.”
“I don’t think we ever got momentum on our side, we had a lot of chances,” Rodgers said nearly repeating himself. “The defense played really good in the first half. They got a good defense, but we had a lot of opportunities, a lot of opportunities. Didn’t make the most of hardly any of them.”
It didn’t get better in the second half.
Houston bullied its way down the field, but on third down, Brandin Echols with a diving interception to prevent points. Steelers got the ball at its own four-yard line, after one first down, another punt. At this point of the game, Rodgers was 12-20 for 99 yards, or five yards per attempt.
On the last play of the third quarter, after getting a bad snap the previous play, hung in the pocket and threw a perfect pass to Christian Kirk for a 46-yard gain on 3rd and 15. It marked the eighth third down conversion in 12 attempts, while at the same time the Steelers were one of nine.
“We just got to be more successful on first and second downs, when you are behind the chains on first and second downs it sets you up for their lethal pass rush to start to get after our O-line,” said receiver DK Metcalf.
The final stats, the Steelers were 2-14 on third down, while Houston was 10-15 as the Texans poured on 23 points in the fourth quarter including a pair of defensive scores.
“We had them in some third and longs and we didn’t get off the field when we should,” said linebacker Alex Highsmith.
“We didn’t make the plays when we could have made them tonight.”
“We didn’t put our guys in good enough position,” Tomlin said. “We didn’t make enough plays and certainly the Houston Texans did.”
Despite the final, it was a game the Steelers had plenty of chances to win, but were just horrible in the key moments. Yet again in the playoffs.