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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — Coach Mike Tomlin didn’t hold back in criticizing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance in their 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“Starting games 0-5 on third down is a recipe for a disappointing day,” Tomlin said. “We need to win the crucial downs. It’s not just about acknowledging the problem, it’s a failure on our part in every aspect. We need to improve our coaching and our play.”
“… We were completely outplayed today.”
The Steelers (0-1) converted only 5 of 15 third downs, while the 49ers (1-0) converted 6 of 13. Pittsburgh didn’t even manage to pick up a first down until less than two minutes remained in the first half. The Steelers also lost the time of possession battle 37:23 to 22:37, and their lack of plays, especially in the first half, prevented them from establishing any rhythm or ground game.
“We just didn’t execute, honestly,” said Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett. “I think it was more our fault than theirs. I was comfortable with what I saw from their defense, but we simply failed to execute.”
This lack of execution was surprising considering the Steelers’ starting offense scored touchdowns on all five drives during the preseason. However, against the 49ers, they recorded a net yard of only one, no first downs, four punts, and an interception in their first five drives.
“San Francisco’s starting defense is tougher than some of the teams we faced in the preseason,” explained Pickett when asked about the disparity in performance. “They’re a good team, but we fell far short of the level of execution we need and desire.”
Pickett completed 31 of 46 attempts for 232 yards, and his best performance came in the two-minute offense just before halftime when he led a 95-yard drive resulting in a 3-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth.
However, Pickett also threw two interceptions and was sacked five times. It wasn’t just accuracy issues; he also had miscommunications with his receivers. Despite emphasizing offensive cohesion in the preseason, Pickett and Freiermuth had a miscommunication on a fourth-down throw to the end zone in the second half, which halted a promising drive.
“That happens,” Pickett admitted. “Pat saw it one way, I saw it the other way. We need to fix that, but I believe we’ll get it right. Our focus should be on playing balanced football and executing the things we’ve worked hard on.”
Running back Najee Harris, who had 31 yards on six carries, remained optimistic about the team’s ability to bounce back from the loss before their Monday night game against division rival Cleveland.
“We still have 16 games to play,” Harris said optimistically. “We’re not giving up. It’s part of the sport. There will be wins and losses. What matters is how we respond next week and come out with a victory. We’re here, and we’re still excited about this year.”
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