(Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Steelers tied the winless Lions on Sunday, 16-16. The game was a disaster all around. The weather conditions with the rain were awful. The FOX broadcast was horrendous. And most importantly, the play on the field was just downright abysmal.
Both teams had numerous chances to win the game, but they just couldn't capitalize. It was like neither side wanted to win. In all honesty, both sides deserved a loss for that performance. But the Lions are the Lions. It's expected for them to make erroneous mistakes. They don't know how to win.
That's why it was just flat-out embarrassing for the Steelers to tie Detroit. I know Ben Roethlisberger was out due to being on the reserve/COVID-19 list, but Mason Rudolph should have been able to win that game. If Rudolph doesn't throw the ball short and low to Ray-Ray McCloud on third-and-goal in the end zone it would have been a touchdown, and the Steelers win that game. The same goes for if Rudolph had an on-target pass to Diontae Johnson on third-and-3 late in the fourth quarter, which would have put the Steelers in field goal range or at least close. Johnson had open grass.
At the same time, Rudolph didn't have much help. He shouldn't have thrown the ball 50 times. That's on offensive coordinator Matt Canada. How do you call three straight passing plays from the Lions' 5-yard line when you have a featured running back in Najee Harris? All three passes fell incompletion, and the Steelers settled for a field goal. The third incomplete pass was the aforementioned Rudolph short-armed throw to McCloud. Johnson and Pat Freiermuth also fumbled in overtime that resulted in turnovers. And the Steelers somehow let the Lions rush for 229 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were explosive plays from 28 and 42 yards out.
The Steelers haven't tied at Heinz Field since their, 34-34, shootout against the Falcons in 2002. That game was at least entertaining, however. The Steelers-Lions game on Sunday was just sloppy football. I couldn't wait until it was over. That's how brutal it was to watch.
So, it got me thinking. Was that the worst Steelers game in the history of Heinz Field. If it's not No. 1, it sure is in the top three. The only two games that I think rival it are the mud bowl in 2007 against the Dolphins where the Steelers won, 3-0. And in 2002, when the Steelers lost to the expansion team Texans, 24-6. The Steelers outgained the Texans 422-47, but they turned the ball over five times, and two of those turnovers were pick-sixes by cornerback Aaron Glenn. Coincidentally, Glenn was the Lions' defensive coordinator on Sunday.