No secret videos needed to help Cardinals’ staff

One bad game doesn’t
necessarily dim a season.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Maybe they could blame this loss on insider information.

Not many in the NFL know more about the Pittsburgh Steelers, or their offense, than Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt and assistant head coach Russ Grimm. While Bruce Arians now is the offensive coordinator, Whisenhunt and Grimm have considerable knowledge of Pittsburgh’s system after spending six seasons in it.

That background was evident as the Steelers’ offense, which was good enough to allow them to win each of their first three games by at least a three-TD margin, shut down for long stretches of an unexpected 21-14 loss Sunday that was Pittsburgh’s first under Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin, of course, is the man who beat out Whisenhunt and Grimm for the job.

Hunch

“I think coach Whis knew some of the weak points of our offense,” said wide receiver Santonio Holmes, whose two TD catches meant he wasn’t one of those deficiencies. “He was sending guys left and right, bringing pressure as much as he could to try to disrupt our offense. They did a pretty good job of it.”

For all that Whisenhunt and Grimm knew and implemented, however, the Steelers (3-1) did a pretty good job of beating themselves.

There were special teams breakdowns, including Pittsburgh native Steve Breaston’s 73-yard punt return touchdown and the Carey Davis penalty that led to it. The 11 penalties. The absence of a running game that was held to 77 yards, 37 by Willie Parker, after it outgained the Steelers’ first three opponents 595-239. Two interceptions thrown by Ben Roethlisberger, who had only one previously.

“We just couldn’t get it going. We made a lot of mistakes,” Roethlisberger said. “We killed ourselves.”

Roethlisberger, whose relationship with Whisenhunt wasn’t close by the time last season ended, wouldn’t credit the Cardinals staff’s knowledge as being a factor in the defeat.

Pressure

Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett suggested the key is getting to Roethlisberger, making the quarterback uncomfortable and forcing him to create plays — even though Roethlisberger was successful at doing exactly that while winning the Super Bowl two years ago.

“Two years ago he was sitting back there and throwing the ball down the field,” Dockett said. “We’re coming, you’re not going to sit back there and make that your couch. You’re going to have to try to run to make a play.”

One bad game doesn’t necessarily dim a season, and the Steelers can go into their bye week with a 4-1 record if they can beat Seattle (3-1) at home Sunday. What the Steelers don’t know yet is how big a role injuries will play. Safety Troy Polamalu (abdominal strain), nose tackle Casey Hampton (hamstring) and cornerback Bryant McFadden (sprained ankle) were hurt against Arizona, and it is uncertain if they will be ready by Sunday.