Steelers fans at Heinz Field Sunday surely were asked to dispose of their garbage in trash receptacles throughout the stadium.
But they weren’t responsible for the “garbage” on the field. According to linebacker Ryan Shazier, that rubbish was in the form of the Steelers defense in their 27-16 loss to the Patriots.
“We’re looking like garbage right now,” Shazier told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “(Opposing offenses) can do whatever they want to do right now.”
Rob Gronkowski has pretty much done whatever he’s wanted to do against the Steelers in his career. Eight of his 67 career touchdown receptions have come against the Steelers. The only team he’s scored more touchdowns against is the Bills (10), but the Patriots play the Bills twice a year.
On Sunday, however, Gronkowski couldn’t do everything he wanted. Not in the first half, anyway. The Steelers held him to one catch for 13 yards while fighting back from a 14-0 deficit and pulling to within 14-13. But the dagger came with 6:19 left in the third quarter when on third-and-6 Tom Brady threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski to make it 20-13.
The Steelers (4-3) couldn’t regain the momentum, mustering only a field goal on their next possession. A 37-yard pass to Gronkowski set up LeGarrette Blount’s five-yard touchdown run with 11:44 left and that was pretty much it.
The Steelers won’t always have to face Gronkowski, but right now Shazier’s assessment is right in the grand scheme of things. The Steelers rank 27th in yards allowed. They haven’t ranked that low since 1988. They were 5-11 that year, their worst season since Chuck Noll went 1-13 in 1969, his first season as coach.
With eight sacks through seven games, the Steelers are on pace for their record low in a season.
The defense needs to carry the team with Ben Roethlisberger possibly missing another four games with a torn meniscus. This kind of historic ineptitude won’t get the job done.
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