The Steelers entered today with a 7-4 record and a real shot at a playoff berth. The Cardinals entered today with a 2-10 record and a real shot at the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The game did not go as planned.
The Cardinals dominated from start to finish, enduring two weather delays but never losing their momentum in what proved to be an easy 24-10 Arizona win.
It was a costly loss for the Steelers in the standings, and it may prove to be even costlier on the injury front: Starting quarterback Kenny Pickett was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury, and so was starting guard Isaac Seumalo. T.J. Watt suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury in the fourth quarter as well, although he returned to the game.
Cardinals running back James Conner, in his return to Pittsburgh, ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Kyler Murray’s passing numbers weren’t great, but he avoided mistakes well enough in a game when the Cardinals’ defense dominated the Steelers’ offense.
The Cardinals aren’t going anywhere this season, but they’re playing hard enough to give their fans some hope that with a healthy Murray next year, they could be a playoff team. The Steelers may still be playoff contenders, but today’s loss was ugly.
