The Steelers left points on the table before the game ever reached overtime, and that decision is now drawing scrutiny as Pittsburgh heads into its matchup with the Saints.
In a Monday piece, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor focused on one sequence in particular, asking, "Why did the Steelers not bleed the clock after Jamel Dean's interception?"
That question has lingered because the Steelers had a path to close it out in regulation, and instead gave Tampa Bay just enough time to answer. Pryor wrote that Pittsburgh "drained the clock down to 3:15 in overtime after a 12-play drive ended with Germie Bernard's game-winning touchdown, but they had an opportunity to win in regulation."
The key moment came after the Steelers tied the game. Pryor noted that Pittsburgh could have taken more time off the clock after Dean’s interception, which might have forced the Buccaneers into a tougher situation with their remaining timeouts.
Instead, the sequence moved quickly. "Rodgers threw two incompletions, and Jaylen Warren rushed for 2 yards before they settled for a field goal," she continues.
"All of that took just 17 seconds off the clock. The Bucs had 1:21 left, which was enough time to tie the game and send it to OT."
The Steelers still walked away with the win over Tampa Bay, but the late-game management became part of the story. It’s the kind of mistake that can get exposed in a tighter finish, and it’s the sort of lesson Pittsburgh will want to carry with it the next time it has a chance to close out a game without extra football.
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