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5 things we learned: December doldrums are nothing new for Steelers | TribLIVE.com
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5 things we learned: December doldrums are nothing new for Steelers

Joe Rutter
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Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review
Bengals quarterback Ryan Finley takes a bootleg for a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Steelers Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 at Paul Brown Stadium.

Five things we learned from Bengals 27, Steelers 17:

1. Disastrous Decembers

For a team that owned December the last two times they made the playoffs, the Steelers are slipping and sliding through the final month of the regular season for the third year in a row.

When the Steelers reached the AFC championship game in 2016 and followed with a 13-3 season in 2017, they won nine of 10 regular-season games played in December or early January. It would have been a perfect 10 if not for Al Riveron’s call that overturned Jesse James’ touchdown catch against the New England Patriots.

The stunning 27-17 loss to the Bengals on Monday night was the sixth in the past seven games played in December, the lone win coming this year in a flat performance against the covid-19 ravaged Baltimore Ravens. In addition to the three-game losing streak the Steelers will tote into their game Sunday against Indianapolis, they lost their final three games in December last year when they stumbled to an 8-8 finish.

In the past three years, the Steelers are 5-9 in December.

At least coach Mike Tomlin never promised the Steelers would unleash hell this December, like he did in 2009 only to watch the Steelers extend a losing streak to five games with back-to-back losses to open that month 11 years ago.

The Steelers also are assured of being the second team since the 1970 merger to begin a season with an 11-0 record and have three losses heading into the postseason. The New Orleans Saints lost three in a row to close out the 2009 season following a 13-0 start.

Perhaps the Steelers can take some inspiration from those Saints, who reeled off three playoff wins in a row to capture the franchise’s only Super Bowl championship.

2. Offensive offense

The first half set a new low in futility for the Steelers offense that has struggled to find any rhythm this month. The Steelers went into halftime with two first downs and 40 total yards.

This happened even with the Steelers moving away from the quick passing game that became so stagnant and predictable in recent weeks. Ben Roethlisberger, though, didn’t have any command on his passes, often overthrowing his intended receiver. With four minutes left in the half, Roethlisberger had negative passing yardage, and he was 7 of 16 for 19 yards before intermission. On seven of Roethlisberger’s attempts in the half, a Bengals player was there to break up (or intercept) the pass.

In addition, it took six drives for the Steelers to get a first down, and it took a Benny Snell dive on a fourth-and-1 for the offense to finally move the chains.

3. Turn(over) the page

The Steelers no longer can lay claim to having the most takeaways in the NFL, as they have slipped into second place behind the Miami Dolphins, whose 26 are one more than the Steelers.

For the second time in the three-game losing streak — and just the third time this season — the Steelers didn’t get an interception or fumble recovery. And it came in a game in which the offense turned it over three times in the first half alone — a recipe for disaster.

Roethlisberger threw an interception for the fifth game in a row, and it set up the Bengals’ second touchdown of the first half for a 17-0 advantage. Roethlisberger has thrown six picks in the past five games after throwing just four over the first nine games.

4. Nothing to dance about

Nobody on the Bengals was around during the pregame to prevent JuJu Smith-Schuster from dancing on the logo at midfield. They made sure to get his attention late in the first quarter after Smith-Schuster ran across the logo while trying to catch a pass from Roethlisberger.

Vonn Bell delivered a jarring hit that sent Smith-Schuster to the ground and the ball tumbling away to the Steelers’ 38 where the Bengals pounced on it. After initially being called an incomplete pass, the call was reversed after a challenge by Bengals coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals took possession and scored a touchdown for a 10-0 lead.

The officials, though, missed Bell using his helmet to hit Smith-Schuster under the chin, which should have warranted a 15-yard penalty.

The catch was one of two Smith-Schuster had in the first half that totaled minus-6 yards. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Smith-Schuster got his third catch, which went for 21 yards and gave him positive yardage.

5. Inside job

Already minus Devin Bush and Robert Spillane to injuries and Vince Williams to the reserve/covid-19 list, the Steelers relied on Avery Williamson and Marcus Allen at inside linebacker for the second game in a row.

Both starters, plus backup Ulysees Gilbert III, exited at various points of the game with injuries. Gilbert headed to the locker room in the first quarter with an ankle injury sustained on special teams but eventually returned to the game. Williamson and Allen each were attended to by trainers on the field, but Allen didn’t miss a snap after being sandwiched between two players while trying to make a tackle.

Against the patchwork position group, the Bengals put up 152 rushing yards, marking the sixth time in the past eight games the Steelers have allowed an opponent to reach triple digits.

The good news for the position is that Williams should be back early this week and available to play against Indianapolis after missing the past two games because of his stay on the reserve/covid-19 list.

Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.

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Categories: Sports | Steelers/NFL
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