It has been a strange up-and-down NFL season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, with the team sporting a winning record but being a team that many believe to be mediocre and not deserving of a spot in the NFL playoffs.
In Week 13, the Steelers had the ideal situation to prove their doubters wrong with a tune-up game against the lowly Arizona Cardinals at home at Acrisure Stadium.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals came to play on Sunday, and the Steelers didn’t, as Arizona went on to beat Pittsburgh on the home field in convincing fashion, 24-10.
Even though the offense has been a mess for the Steelers all season long, as the team has struggled to make an impact offensively this year, the defense has been formidable and something the team can usually count on to keep them in games.
Not today, however, as the Steelers were crushed by one of the worst teams in the league while one of the team’s best defensive players was playing with a broken hand, according to head coach Mike Tomlin via Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
#Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick broke his left hand during today's game, but he put a cast on it and finished the game regardless, per HC Mike Tomlin. pic.twitter.com/dKIeVPOCTr
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 3, 2023
Along with Minkah Fitzpatrick playing through a broken hand, the Steelers saw starting quarterback Kenny Pickett go down with an injury in this game as well, which resulted in Mitchell Trubisky taking over.
Instead of taking a giant leap forward this week, Pittsburgh has seemingly taken two steps back and looks like a team that will get blown out in the playoffs if this team somehow ends up being postseason-bound.
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