Questionable Fourth-Quarter Coaching Costs Steelers Another Loss

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

For the second consecutive week the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost a game they should have won. After falling to the Chicago Bears in Week 2, the Steelers blew an early 13-0 lead to the Cincinnati Bengals, ultimately losing 23-20 in the last minute.

Both losses came in games where the Steelers should have been in control after strong starts, in games against supposedly lesser opponents.

A common factor in both losses seems to be questionable coaching philosophies.

In the fourth quarter of both losses the Steelers' play calling became remarkably conservative and predictable.

The loss of Troy Polamalu has clearly been a blow for the Steelers. However in the latter stages of both games the Steelers' defense seemed to play it safe. The result was little or no pressure on Jay Cutler and Carson Palmer. Both quarterbacks marched their teams down the field with apparent ease as they led their teams to victory.

Pittsburgh's defensive prowess since Dick LeBeau took over the defense has been relentless pressure on the quarterback, earning the team the nickname Blitzburgh. However in the key fourth quarters of both losses LeBeau and Tomlin elected to rush only four players and drop seven into coverage.

That decision seemed to suck confidence out of the defense as opposing receivers found open areas in the zone coverages and easy first downs.

If Polamalu is so important to the defense that they cannot use they blitz packages in his absence, then Polamalu rather than Harrison should have been the league's defensive MVP last season!

Bruce Arians' conservative and predictable fourth quarter play calling on the offensive side of the ball has been even more atrocious. In both losses Arians seemed not to recognize that any success on offense was a result of putting the ball in Ben Roethlisberger's hands. Had it not been for Roethlisberger's fourth quarter and overtime heroics in Week 1 the team would be looking at an 0-3 record to start the season.

The most talented players on the offensive side of the ball are Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Santonio Holmes (although he was horrible against the Bengals). Every week Mike Wallace provides evidence of his abilities as well. Conversely, the running game pales in comparison. Willie Parker seems to have lost his amazing acceleration, while Mewelde Moore is a serviceable backup and Rashard Mendenhall an unproven commodity who rarely if ever saw the field in Week 3.

Whatever success Parker has experienced this year has been at times when the offense looks to the pass before the run. In those situations the running plays catch the defenses by surprise and Parker makes some decent yardage.

As soon as teams recognize that Roethlisberger has been reigned in by Arians they crowd the line of scrimmage and stuff the run. In those circumstances Parker has looked slow and tentative.

Arians play calling has rarely been more predictable than the second half of the recent lost to Cincinnati. The Bengals scored an early touchdown on an interception return when it appeared that Santonio Holmes failed to make the correct read on a Cincinnati blitz. That closed the score to 13-10 and appears to have caused Arians to panic and go into a conservative shell.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?