Sep 26, 2017 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Lost amidst the firestorm created by the decision of the Steelers players to stay in the tunnel prior to their game Sunday against the Chicago Bears was the fact Pittsburgh’s offense had a sub-par effort for the third consecutive week.

And unlike Pittsburgh’s first two games – both wins – the Steelers lost to the Bears, 23-17, in overtime.

Pittsburgh won games against Cleveland and Minnesota because it made game-changing plays on special teams and the defense played well.

In the loss to the Bears, however, the Steelers allowed two game-changing plays on special teams that head coach Mike Tomlin called catastrophic – a fumbled punt and blocked field goal – while the defense allowed 220 rushing yards.

The special teams gaffes led to 10 points for the Bears. But while the defense was gashed at times on the ground and gave up 74 rushing yards on four carries in overtime, it allowed only 32 yards on 14 attempts over the third and fourth quarters.

Despite a pair of second-half turnovers by Chicago, including an interception in the fourth quarter at the Bears’ 21-yard line by safety J.J. Wilcox, Pittsburgh’s offense was largely held in check for the third straight week.

Linebacker Arthur Moats said Tuesday morning in an interview with KDKA-FM that the team was distracted by the situation surrounding the national anthem debate.

“We lacked a lot of detail from missed assignments to missed tackles to drops, stuff like that,” Moats said.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger agreed and largely put the blame for the loss on his shoulders.

“I had a bad day at the office,” Roethlisberger told the radio station. “Usually, a bad day at the office for me is throwing interceptions and not completing passes. We just weren’t on our details. There were some details I wasn’t on – making the right read and throwing it, maybe trying to force it to (Antonio Brown) because I trust that he’s going to do the right thing every time.

“I need to be better at taking what the defense gives us and making the right throw. I missed some throws early and was really just disappointed with that performance in a loss. If I have even a little better of a game, I think we win.”

Roethlisberger was 22 of 39 but for only 235 yards and one touchdown. He threw into coverage on a number of occasions, including a pass to Martavis Bryant in the end zone on third-and-three following the Wilcox interception. The pass was broken up by Marcus Cooper and the Steelers kicked a field goal that tied the score at 17-17 with 8:07 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers had only 282 yards in the game and rank 22nd in the league in total offense despite the presence of Brown, who leads the NFL in catches and receiving yards, Bryant and running back Le’Veon Bell.

More telling is Pittsburgh averages 21.3 points per game.

“We acknowledge that we’re not a finished product,” Tomlin said. “I acknowledged that last week after a win. I acknowledged that two weeks ago after another win. We’re very much a team in development.”

The Steelers face a big AFC North game Sunday in Baltimore (2-1), with the early division lead on the line.

Baltimore allowed only 10 points in the first two weeks, beating Cincinnati and Cleveland, before self-destructing in a 44-7 thrashing Sunday against Jacksonville in London.

Whether or not the Steelers’ loss can be attributed to distractions, the players know they must focused against the Ravens, who have beaten them in four of the past five, and six of the past eight, meetings.

“Hopefully, we learn something about how to be singularly focused in the midst of a storm that is out of our control,” Tomlin said. “I don’t view those things as a negative. Was it a distraction? I’m sure it was in a lot of ways. But we’ve still got a job to do. Hopefully, we learn from it, because if we’re going to be who we desire to be, then there are going to be distractions.”

Tomlin said he and three of his assistants went to midfield for the singing of the national anthem because they didn’t want to take part in any political statement involving President Donald Trump’s comments about the NFL and wanted to be prepared for communications issues involved in a road game. He said assistant coaches were given the choice to do so or remain with the players in the tunnel. … Three players injured against the Bears – safeties Mike Mitchell (hamstring) and Sean Davis (ankle) and tight end Jesse James (shoulder) – are questionable to play this week. … Tomlin said there’s a chance three players who sat out Sunday with injuries – defensive end Stephon Tuitt, right tackle Marcus Gilbert and outside linebacker T.J. Watt – could return this week.