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There is no single reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers have played so poorly the last three weeks. After scoring at least 26 points in each of their first 10 games, the Steelers have failed to score 20 points in a single game since. On Sunday, the Steelers completely collapsed in the second half against the Buffalo Bills and went down 26-15.
Even the stout NFL defense has been uncharacteristically off during this three-game stretch where Pittsburgh has gone 1-2.
We can debate all the potential reasons why this is happening and we will but we must consider the elephant in the room. Three games in 12 days.
The Steelers were supposed to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving day but thanks to a COVID-19 outbreak on the Ravens, the game was pushed all the way to the following Wednesday. It was a ridiculous compromise by the NFL and only served to further punish the Steelers for doing nothing wrong.
I say further because early in the season, Pittsburgh was forced to sacrifice their bye week because the Tennessee Titans ignored COVID-19 protocols.
If you think all of this hasn’t had a cumulative effect on the Steelers and didn’t play a significant role in the team’s recent struggles, you just aren’t paying attention.
Unfortunately, the NFL doesn’t care and the schedule pushes forward. Even though the Steelers have secured a playoff spot, there are still three games left and at least two of those look like games a worn-out Steelers team could easily lose.
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