Editorial — JuJu Smith-Schuster did all he could to help his team against the Oakland Raiders.
The Pittsburgh Steelers second-year wide receiver put the entire team on his back. Smith-Schuster caught eight passes for 130 yards, also hauling in two touchdowns.
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Smith-Schuster also made a 43-yard dash to get Chris Boswell in field goal position. However, Boswell showed no signs of redemption from a missed 39-yard field goal from earlier. When lining up for a 40-yard kick, Boswell slipped, causing him to kick the ball into the blocking arms of Raiders defenders.
Just like that, the 2-10 Oakland Raiders — who are now 3-10 — defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.
There’ a lot of blame to go around in this loss. Last weekend, I shed some light on how some players need to take responsibility. Boswell needed to work on his craft. Roethlisberger gave up interceptions against the Chargers.
However, last week, I also said that the blame shouldn’t be shifted toward head coach Mike Tomlin.
This week, I’m changing my tune.
I have been a Mike Tomlin supporter whenever talks of canning the 12-year head coach began three years ago. The Steelers are a franchise that thrives on keeping head coaches around for a long time. Since 1969, the Steelers have retained three head coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin.
Why Tomlin is to blame
So, why the sudden change of tune?
Toward the end of the second quarter, Roethlisberger went down with a rib injury. After being evaluated in the locker room, Roethlisberger came back out early in the third quarter, but remained on the sidelines. He wouldn’t appear on the field until there was five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
According to Tomlin, during his post-game press conference, Roethlisberger could have gone into the game sooner.
“He got looked at at halftime,” Tomlin said. “He got treatment, he came back out. We were waiting to see if he was gonna be able to come back in. He was. He probably could’ve come in a series or so sooner, but we were in the rhythm and flow of the game.”
“Ben was ready to go when he got back out there.”
During Roethlisberger’s absence, Joshua Dobbs got swallowed by the pressure and loud Raiders fans. For example, only two plays after Derek Carr fumbled the ball and the Steelers recovered, it looked like Dobbs fumbled it right back. However, due to the infamous “Tuck Rule,” the ball remained with the Steelers.
However, it didn’t matter. Dobbs’ next attempt was an interception, right into the arms of Tahir Whitehead.
Roethlisberger said that adrenaline helped carry him through the final drive.
“You’re asking how I feel during a football game where I’m getting beat up,” Roethlisberger said. “So, I felt OK.”
Roethlisberger also said that the team needs to “look int the mirror” to figure out what’s going on. The Steelers are currently on their third-straight loss.
“It starts with each individual,” Roethlisberger said. “We need to look inside first.”
Is it time for Boswell to go?
This season has not been kind to Boswell.
After inking a five-year, $16.8 million, contract in August, Boswell has underperformed. This season, the Boswell has missed six field goals and five extra points.
Boswell missed both attempts against the Raiders, from 39 and 40 yards. Despite slipping and falling on the final kick, Boswell said that the field wasn’t to blame, saying that it’s the same for him and everyone else.
“It’s the same for their kicker, same for myself,” Boswell said. “If it’s slippery for me, it’s slippery for everyone else.”
Boswell said that there’s a lot of heat on him and if the Steelers let him go, whatever happens, happens.
“Every player in every position goes through a downfall,” Boswell said. “You have to find your footing and get yourself back up. Just like every other slump in the world, you just have to keep shooting, keep kicking. I got here for a reason.”
When asked about his play this season, Boswell said that it’s terrible.
“It’s terrible, what else do you want me to say?” Boswell said.
This is a completely different kicker than the Steelers saw last season. In 2017, Boswell, a Pro Bowl kicker, made 35 of 38 field goals, while only missing two extra points.
Is it time for Boswell to go?
Ray Fittipaldo, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, detailed that if the Steelers cut Boswell, he will count as $4.8 million against the salary cap in 2019.
Is that worth it for the Steelers? This is a team that can still make the playoffs, but right now it’s looking grim. The Steelers sit only half-a-game ahead of the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, who fell to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. However, if the Steelers make the playoffs and a key-contest comes down to a field goal, is Boswell reliable?
This might be a situation where the Steelers need to take a deep breath and mandate Boswell to extra practice.
What’s Next?
Before going into what’s next, let’s make another point clear. The defense isn’t safe from criticism in this, either.
Derek Carr isn’t an elite quarterback, but somehow, the secondary made him look like Drew Brees. Carr threw for 322 yards, completed two touchdowns and didn’t throw a single interception.
The secondary couldn’t even keep Lee Smith, who, aside from last week against the Chiefs, hadn’t caught a touchdown since 2015, contained.
The next two tasks aren’t going to be easy for the Steelers. This weekend is a classic at Heinz Field, a new-age rivalry, against the New England Patriots.
New England didn’t have a positive day on the field either, losing to the Miami Dolphins this weekend. Sunday’s match, which will begin at 4:25 p.m., will be held at Heinz Field.
Then, speaking of Brees, the Steelers will head down south to New Orleans. Pittsburgh closes out the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 30, at 1 p.m.
PHOTO: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger calls out a play to his wide receivers against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018. Photo courtesy of Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers.
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