Offense takes step back, Pickett hurt in weather-delayed Steelers loss to Cardinals

Here’s the kind of gloomy day it was Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Through 55 minutes of football, the Steelers encountered just one fewer weather delay than they had points on the Acrisure Stadium JumboTron.

In one of the worst showings in Mike Tomlin’s 17 seasons, the Steelers lost a chance to inch closer to first place in the AFC North by falling to the two-win Arizona Cardinals, 24-10.

The loss, which included game-ending injuries to quarterback Kenny Pickett and two other starters, dropped the Steelers’ record to 7-5. And they have little time to get Pickett and company healthy, what with the New England Patriots awaiting Thursday night.

ESPN reported Sunday night that Pickett will be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

Like Arizona, New England will enter that game with two wins on the season.

From all corners of the Steelers locker room, players maintained they didn’t take the previously 2-10 Cardinals lightly.

Not second-year running back Jaylen Warren.

“I think we expected to win,” Warren said, “instead of wanting to work to win.”

A win would have put the Steelers a game behind idle Baltimore (9-3) in the division race. Instead, any momentum gained from last weekend’s win in Cincinnati was washed away like the objects that swirled across the Acrisure playing surface during two weather stoppages totaling 85 minutes.

“We needed this win,” wide receiver Diontae Johnson said.

It was the fourth loss the Steelers sustained by multiple scores and third at home. It took a touchdown with 4 minutes, 55 seconds remaining to make it a two-touchdown defeat rather than three.

“This time of the year when you drop a game, it always feels like you let one get away,” center Mason Cole said.

Little went right for the Steelers.

Pickett exited for good in the second quarter with an ankle injury after he failed to score on a third-down scramble that came up short of the goal line. Left guard Isaac Seumalo was injured on the same play and didn’t return, and inside linebacker Elandon Roberts didn’t play in the second half because of a groin injury.

On the play after Pickett’s exit, Najee Harris was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-goal run from the 1. The Cardinals then went 99 yards for a touchdown, converting five times on third down, to take the lead for good, 10-3, with 15 seconds left in the first half.

The Steelers were penalized nine times, and special teams captain Miles Killebrew was flagged three times (two accepted). The Steelers were called twice for an illegal formation on offense and once for having too many men on the field on defense.

A fumbled low snap to Mitch Trubisky led to Arizona’s second touchdown. Even the usually reliable Chris Boswell missed a make-able field goal.

To boot, former Pitt and Steelers running back James Conner scored two touchdowns and rushed for 105 yards in his return to Acrisure.

“We got beat in all three facets,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “Penalties, we didn’t win the turnover game. We didn’t convert in the red zone. We didn’t keep them out of the red zone.

“You name it, we lost at it.”

In the second game under interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner and play-caller Mike Sullivan, the Steelers couldn’t match the modest 16 points they scored last weekend at Cincinnati. After getting a field goal on their opening possession, the Steelers went seven consecutive drives without any points.

Coach Mike Tomlin said the penalties set the tone for the poor offensive performance.

“It was JV football in a lot of ways,” he said.

For the first time since the season opener, the Steelers had all of their star defensive players — T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick — on the field at the same time. That didn’t stop the defense from giving up the 99-yard touchdown drive late in the first half or letting the Cardinals rush for 150 yards.

“We have to go into games like these and realize we have to play our best ball,” Fitzpatrick said. “I don’t understand why games like this we should be winning by a lot of points playing great defense. When we’re not playing our best ball, that’s not the case.”

The first weather delay came at halftime and led to a stoppage of approximately 35 minutes. It didn’t get any better once the second half began.

The Steelers turned the ball over on their first possession of the half when Trubisky couldn’t handle a low snap from Cole. Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills recovered at the Steelers 21. A pass interference call against rookie corner Joey Porter led to Conner’s first touchdown, a 1-yard run.

This put the Steelers in a 17-3 hole with 7:18 left in the third. That’s when the game was stopped for the second time because of heavy rain, high winds and the threat of lightning. Play resumed about 50 minutes later.

“Not trying to use that as an excuse, but we’re into the game and have to stop because of the rain, then stop again and come back and warm up again,” Johnson said. “You don’t know who is really into it or little stuff like that. I’m sure everybody was locked in, but our play didn’t prove that.”

In another sign of the Steelers’ fortunes, Boswell pushed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right on the next possession. It was just his second miss of the season, the other being from 61 yards.

Conner pushed the Cardinals’ lead to 24-3 when he scored on a 9-yard run with 8:28 remaining. The Steelers finally got a touchdown when Trubisky found Johnson for a 2-yard score with 4:25 left, but offense didn’t touch the ball again.

“Losing football,” Tomlin said. “It really was.”