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Steelers Continue with another Dreadful First-Quarter Playoff Start
Another Pittsburgh Steelers playoff appearance, another scoreless first quarter for the team.
Following an unfruitful first 15 minutes of Saturday night’s AFC Wild Card clash with Baltimore, the Steelers kept steady with a telling theme. They haven’t scored a first-quarter point in their last six playoff games. During that span, they’ve been out-scored 73-0 in the opening frame.
The Steelers didn’t even reach midfield on their initial two drives. Not on their third either, which was their second three-and-out in a row. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith did try to open things up some by calling a flea flicker on the first play of the Steelers’ second possession, but Russell Wilson couldn’t find anyone down field.
In the past five games, the Steelers have been out-classed 47-3 on the scoreboard. It’s been four games since they scored in the fist quarter.
The start isn’t a great harbinger for the Steelers, which have been ordinary at best on offense and haven’t reached 20 points since their last win, against Cleveland on Dec. 8. Since then, the attack has seemed fragmented and stale.
Pittsburgh fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter. Baltimore’s Derrick Henry punched it in from eight yards out, capping a 13-play, 85-yard drive where the Ravens exclusively kept it on the ground. At that point, the Steelers had just one first down and 36 total yards. The hosts had dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 18 minutes, 36 seconds as compared to Pittsburgh’s 7:15 at that juncture.
The start puts the Steelers behind the 8-ball, being that they don’t receive the second-half kick, either.
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