'It Was A Failure on Our Part': Steelers Coach after losing to 49ers at NFL 2023

After a disappointing 30-7 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin quickly began addressing the glaring issues that plagued his team's performance.
"You can't start games 0-5 on third down and think that you're going to have the type of day that you desire," Tomlin candidly stated.
"You got to win the weighty downs, and it's just more than just identifying that component, man. It was a failure on our part, in all areas. We got to coach better, we got to play better. ... We got kicked in the teeth today in a lot of ways."
The Steelers' offense struggled mightily, managing to convert on just 5 of 15 third downs, while the 49ers found success with 6 of 13 conversions. The lack of offensive rhythm was evident as the Steelers didn't even secure their first down until less than two minutes remaining in the first half. The time of possession battle was one-sided, with the Steelers losing 37:23 to 22:37, further limiting their opportunities to establish a ground game.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett, who finished the game completing 31 of 46 attempts for 232 yards, acknowledged the lack of execution, stating, "We just didn't execute, honestly. I think it was more us than them. I felt comfortable with what I was seeing, what they were doing. We just didn't execute."
The subpar performance was unexpected, given that the Steelers' starting offense had excelled in the preseason, scoring touchdowns on all five drives. However, against the formidable 49ers, the offense struggled immensely in the initial five drives, gaining just one net yard, no first downs, and resulting in four punts and an interception.
Pickett cited the quality of the 49ers', explaining, "They're a good team, but at the end of the day we didn't execute anywhere near at the level that we need to, that we want to."
However, on the bright side, despite the disappointing start, running back Najee Harris remained optimistic about the team’s ability to bounce back. "We got 16 games left. We're not blinking," Harris said. "It's part of the sport. You're going to win some, you're going to lose some. All that matters is how you're going to come back the next week and win that one. So we're here, and we're still excited for this year."