Steelers running out of time
OAKLAND, Calif. – Out of sync, out of luck and running out of chances. The Steelers did nothing Sunday in a 20-13 loss to the Oakland Raiders to indicate they can compete with the Raiders, let alone the rest of the league.
In fact, the Steelers looked more like the Raiders than the defending Super Bowl champs. It was the Steelers, not the Raiders, called for back-to-back unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Those penalties represented the defense’s contribution to this debacle.
The offense produced Oakland’s first touchdown, when Ben Roethlisberger’s pass to Cedric Wilson instead was picked off by Nnamdi Asomugha. The fourth-year player returned it 24 yards for the score.
Not to be left out, the special teams chimed in by allowing a 50-yard kickoff return near the end of the first half. Chris Carr’s return came right after the Steelers got back in the game on Jeff Reed’s second field goal.
So, instead of trailing 7-6 at the break, the Steelers found themselves down 10-6. And, yes, it could have been worse had these not been the Raiders. With a first-and-goal at the 4-yard line, the Raiders ran, passed incomplete to a tackle eligible and incomplete to a tight end. Yes, Randy Moss was dressed and so was Jerry Porter, but neither saw the ball in the red zone when everybody expected the Raiders to throw it to one of them.
In fact, if the Steelers had been playing any team other than the Raiders, they’d have been blown out by halftime.
But that’s another story for another day.
As for this one, just about everyone expected a heavy dose of Willie Parker against the league’s worst run defense. Parker got his carries, but could not develop any consistency. On at least two occasions, Parker opened Steelers drives with a 7-yard gain, only to have Roethlisberger attempt passes on second and third down.
After the back-to-back penalties against the defense increased Oakland’s lead to 13-6 on Sebastian Janikowski’s second field goal of the game, the defense settled down and tried to keep the offense in the game.
Late in the third quarter, Roethlisberger showed a little bit of spark by passing to Santonio Holmes for 38 yards on a third-and-5 play. That drive came down to a fourth-and-1 at the Raiders’ 36-yard line at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
First of all, Roethlisberger was in shotgun formation with a lot of receivers. Instead of sneaking for a first down, Roethlisberger tried to squeak a pass into Hines Ward. Instead, the pass never crossed the line of scrimmage. It was intercepted by Oakland’s Kirk Morrison to stop the drive.
The next time they faced a third-and-short, Parker ripped off a 39-yard run for a first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. Kind of made you wonder where that play was on fourth-and-one earlier, doesn’t it?
Still, after a 3-yard run by Najeh Davenport, the Steelers passed twice and the second was disaster for the day and perhaps the season.
Roethlisberger was intercepted for the fourth time in the game and, for the second time, the pick was returned for a Raiders’ touchdown. Carr picked off the pass at the Steelers’ goal line and went 100 yards for the clinching touchdown to put the Raiders ahead, 20-6 with 9:32 remaining.
It was Roethlisberger’s first career four-interception day and it leaves the Steelers at 2-5 with nines remaining. The loss also dropped the Steelers to 0-4 on the road. Next up are home games against Denver and New Orleans.
Don’t think it can get any worse? Stay tuned.
Sports editor Mike Ciarochi may be reached at mciarochi@heraldstandard.com