Lost amid the Baltimore Ravens’ distraction-shedding Week 2 win was the continued flat effort of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who, save for a half of football, have been thoroughly outplayed this season.
The 26-6 result proved Baltimore haven’t been deterred on the field by the controversy surrounding their former running back Ray Rice, who they cut and the NFL suspended indefinitely after a video leaked showing him punching his wife Janay.
Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it also showed the Steelers’ Week 1 near-loss to the Cleveland Browns wasn’t a fluke.
In their opener, Pittsburgh looked impressive storming to a 27-3 halftime lead over the Browns, but then looked just as dreadful in the second half when they allowed Cleveland to score 24-straight points to tie the contest before salvaging the victory with a last-second field goal.
Following the loss to the Ravens, the Steelers have now been outscored 50-9 in their last six quarters of play. In that span, the offence has faltered as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for 304 yards – compared to 278 yards in the first half against the Browns – and missed open targets with off-the mark throws.
After a short week, Pittsburgh have plenty of time to solve their struggles before facing the stingy defence of the Carolina Panthers in their third game, but so far the Steelers’ performance is a cause for concern.