PITTSBURGH (AP) — The decorations outside Acrisure Stadium suggested Christmas.
The play on the field by the home team hinted at another holiday entirely.
Groundhog Day.
Like Bill Murray in the iconic movie — set about 90 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh in Punxsutawney — it's not that the Steelers are reliving the same day (or in their case, season) over and over exactly.
It's that no matter what plan they come up with in a frantic effort to get to the other side, they seem to end up right back where they started.
Competitive sure. But a contender? Ehhhh.
Despite a series of aggressive moves — particularly on offense — that was considerably “unSteeler-like" in the offseason, Pittsburgh finds itself in familiar territory following a 29-10 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday: likely heading on the road in the first round of the playoffs, perhaps as a considerable underdog.
While there is still time for Pittsburgh (10-6) to turn it around before a first-round playoff game on the second weekend in January, it's running out quickly.
So too is the patience of those weary of being stuck on the treadmill of “good but hardly great” for far too long.
Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith — who is 0-3 in the postseason since being drafted in 2020 — wondered aloud afterward if there's enough “want to” on the roster. Safety DeShon Elliott bemoaned communication issues that have cropped up, the kind of thing that is tolerable in Week 2, not so much in Week 17.
Coach Mike Tomlin described a performance against the Chiefs in which his team was outclassed at seemingly every turn “junior varsity.” That may be being charitable.
And while the offense certainly has its issues (see below), the reality is the NFL's highest-paid defense has lost its way during a three-game slide that has dimmed the considerable optimism that surrounded the club after Thanksgiving.
Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 402 yards during the skid and while the Chiefs seemed to have plenty of juice at the end of the same three games in 11 days stretch the Steelers endured, their opponents appeared to be gassed.
Patrick Mahomes did whatever he wanted as usual and Pittsburgh failed to get a single sack or produce a turnover.
There were opportunities. Linebacker Mark Robinson forced a fumble on a punt return only to see someone in red-and-white fall on the loose ball. Linebacker Patrick Queen let a tipped pass in Kansas City territory fall through his arms for an incompletion.
Earlier in the season, Pittsburgh was making those plays. Though it should be noted, the competition then wasn't on the scale of what it has faced against Philadelphia, Baltimore and the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.
The road has gotten considerably harder, just as the Steelers knew it would when the schedule was released in May. Like Phil Connors in “Groundhog Day,” however, knowing what's coming and being able to navigate it are two different things.
It took Connors a while to figure things out — anywhere from a few months to 25 or more years depending on who you ask — Pittsburgh doesn't have eternity to get it right if it wants to avoid a quick first-round playoff exit for the fourth time in five years.
It has just over two weeks. And the clock is ticking. Maybe all the way back to 6 a.m.
Because it sure looks like it's Groundhog Day.
Again.
What's working
Not much. One of the few bright spots on a difficult day was the 36-year-old Russell Wilson's ability to make plays with his feet. He ran for a season-high 55 yards, his best single-game total since September 2023.
What needs help
One of the reasons Wilson had to run is because on some plays, he had no choice while playing behind a youth-laden offensive line that looks as if it is wearing down late in the season.
The Chiefs sacked Wilson five times — some of which, to be clear, were because of Wilson's indecisiveness — even with perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones out while nursing a calf injury.
Pittsburgh wants to be a team that imposes itself physically on the opponent. That has simply not happened during the current slide. The opponents have dictated the terms, particularly along the line of scrimmage. Turning that around this deep into a season may be a difficult ask.
Stock up
Jaylen Warren is becoming the more dynamic option at running back. Warren has 37 touches for 212 yards during the three-game slide, while Najee Harris has 31 touches for 144 yards.
Harris could become a free agent in March after the Steelers declined to pick up his fifth-year option. While Harris — who has topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first four seasons — certainly has a future in the NFL, it seems increasingly likely that it will be elsewhere.
Stock down
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. His egalitarian approach to play-calling allows everyone to get involved. That's not a bad thing during the dog days in the middle of the season. It keeps players at all levels of the depth chart engaged and adds wrinkles opponents need to account for.
Yet in the final weeks, the ball should be finding its way to the established difference-makers more frequently. Calling a run for Cordarrelle Patterson — the league's oldest running back — on third-and-3 near midfield as Smith did late in the first half makes little sense.
Injuries
Perhaps the most jarring thing about Pittsburgh's swoon is that the Steelers are generally healthy. Sure, they missed cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (knee) against Kansas City, but the rest of the 21 starters on offense and defense were in the lineup.
Key number
0. The number of opening-drive touchdowns scored by the Steelers this season. For a group that has trouble “warming up to the game” as Tomlin likes to say, consistently being put in a position to play from behind against quality teams such as the ones Pittsburgh will see in the playoffs is inadvisable.
Next steps
Rest up, heal up and try to find a way to restore some of its swagger ahead of a meeting with AFC North rival Cincinnati on the first weekend in January.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Will Graves, The Associated Press
