3 Steelers to blame after blowing winnable game vs. Cowboys

The main event of the Week 5 Sunday slate was a battle between two of the most popular NFL teams in the country. The Dallas Cowboys on the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two teams share a lengthy history, as they faced off in the Super Bowl three times. The Cowboys were looking to get back in a groove after a rough start to the season, while the Steelers hoped to get back in the win column after suffering their first loss of the season last week against the Indianapolis Colts.

The game was winnable, considering that it was such a low-scoring affair for the majority of it. But in the closing minutes, the Cowboys were able to take a late 20-17 lead just before 1 a.m. ET on a red zone touchdown pass to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert.

With 20 seconds remaining, the Steelers were unable to move downfield, as they had no timeouts remaining. They tried to pull out a lateral miracle, but it was to no avail.

Talk about a brutal night for the Steelers. They had to wait over an hour and a half due to a lightning delay, and watched the Cowboys burn all of the clock on their final offensive drive to secure a 20-17 win.

When it comes to who is to blame for the loss, these three stand out.

3 Steelers to blame for losing winnable game vs. Cowboys

3. Patrick Queen, LB

The Pittsburgh Steelers paid a pretty penny to really bolster their defense while in the process, weakening the Baltimore Ravens. They signed linebacker Patrick Queen to a three-year, $41 million contract this offseason, and he really played into the villain role towards the Ravens, the team that drafted him in the first-round years ago.

But the start to the season hasn't been great, at all, for Queen. Through four games, Queen has six missed tackles, and surrendered 10 receptions for 122 yards on 12 targets in pass coverage, per Pro Football Focus. And it wasn't any better on Sunday night.

Queen struggled in coverage and had issues tackling. He notably surrendered extra yardage on Cowboys fullback Hunter Luepke's catch and run for a first-down on what turned out to be the game-winning drive. But overall, he didn't really make an impact that the Steelers had expected.

In the game, Queen recorded nine total tackles (six solo).

Steelers fans are expecting more out of Queen, especially with how well overall the rest of the defense is playing. We'll see if he can improve in the coming weeks, including next Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

2. Arthur Smith, OC

We get it, this is the way the Steelers want to operate. They have a dominant defense that can put a ton of pressure on the quarterback and limit them on the scoreboard. So, they opt to have a conservative offense, where they don't take too many risks and run the ball at will.

But on Sunday night, the Steelers' lack of efficient play-calling ultimately cost them. They only put up a measly 233 yards on 56 total plays. That's 4.2 yards of offense per play. You're not winning many games like this, especially when it is so close in terms of points.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys offense was much more effective, putting up 445 yards on 75 plays.

Credit where credit is due, Justin Fields played well at quarterback. But, one has to wonder due to the offense sputtering on Sunday night, will they pivot to Russell Wilson? Either way, with Smith's play-calling, there's not going to be a vast improvement.

1. George Pickens, WR

It's well noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a wide receiver depth problem. The team was confident enough with George Pickens leading the way that they dealt Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers. With that,you'd expect Pickens to play like the No. 1 receiver he is expected to be.

The thing is, Pickens is outspoken, where he will let everyone know when he's not happy. Look no further than Pickens wearing eyeblack which read, "Open f*****g always." Yet, there is blame to be had on the Steelers coaching staff for not giving Pickens opportunities.

As ESPN's Brooke Pryor points out, Pickens had the fewest routes run of any receiver at one point in the night, where he was considerably out-snapped by Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson. That's not great. But Pickens hasn't exactly made the most of his opportunities on Sunday night.

Pickens was targeted seven times on Sunday night, and he hauled in just three passes for 26 yards. That's not great.

It's obvious to see why the Steelers have been linked to star wide receivers. From Brandon Aiyuk in the offseason, to Davante Adams currently. The offense is a huge deterrent for the Steelers truly being contenders, but it's obvious that wide receiver is a pressing need now.