For the second time this season, Mitch Trubisky came off the bench and made the type of plays that have been missing from the Steelers offense.
In Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, he set up both touchdowns with completions of 42 and 37 yards and put the Steelers in position to score another with a 25-yard throw. His yards per attempt of 9.2 yards was the highest in any game with at least 15 attempts this season.
But Trubisky's willingness to attack downfield and aggressively go after the Ravens defense also came back to bite him when he threw three interceptions in Baltimore territory, two inside the 25-yard line on back-to-back possessions late in the second quarter.
In the end, his performance showed both what he is capable of doing and what can happen when you abandon the conservative style he showed early in the season.
"Every week I'm prepared," said Trubisky, who threw for a season-high 276 yards in his first action since he relieved Kenny Pickett against Tampa Bay on Oct. 16. "I think we were moving the ball, and I think the problem was I was turning it over down in the red zone. We've got to come away with points, at least field goals.
"When you give up the football three times to a good team and a good defense — they're known for taking the ball away. I've just got to be smarter with my decisions and not forcing it down there."
The first interception, on 2nd-and-8 at the Ravens 17, came on a play where receiver Steven Sims either ran the wrong route or the play was poorly designed because he was in the same area on a pass intended for tight end Pat Freiermuth.
The second interception, on first down from the Ravens 23, was picked off by linebacker Patrick Queen on another pass intended for Freiermuth. Curiously, both interceptions came in the middle of the field — the same area the Steelers were criticized for ignoring earlier this season.
Nonetheless, Trubisky showed he can come off the bench and instantly make big plays for the offense, despite his inactivity. With that, though, came some big interceptions.
"I'm continuing to stay confident," Trubisky said. "I think my teammates are confident in me, as well. I've just got to take care of the football. I felt good moving the ball. It felt good to be out there. I love playing ball. It's fun to be back out there with the guys.
"I just appreciate this team grinding together and sticking through. We had a lot of adversity (Sunday). But if I take care of the football, I give ourselves a better chance to win."
Symptom watch
When Pickett was whipped to the turf by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith on the opening series, he had the wind knocked from him and was quickly helped to his feet by tackle Chuks Okorafor. He walked slowly off the field and was taken to the medical tent, where he was checked for a possible concussion.
When it was determined he didn't display any symptoms associated with a concussion, he was permitted to return to the game.
"I just kept asking him how he was feeling," Trubisky said. "He said he was feeling fine, and that was that."
But after playing just one series, a three-and-out, Pickett developed concussion-like symptoms and never returned to the game. He was placed in concussion protocol and his status for Sunday's game in Carolina will not be determined until late in the week.
That Pickett developed symptoms after being allowed to return is not surprising when dealing with concussions. Even during concussion protocol, a player can pass all the initial requirements of the five-step process but will not be cleared to play until he passes the final step — does he become symptomatic after exertion or full-football activity?
That's why Mike Tomlin said after the game, "When he became symptomatic, he was pulled from the game and evaluated for concussion."
It was the second time in eight weeks Pickett has been removed from a game for concussion-like symptoms. He returned from the first one to start one week later in Miami. And it is possible he could return to play in Carolina.
According to medical research and opinions of neurosurgeons, just because a player suffers one concussion, or even two, doesn't make it any more likely a player will sustain another. But, just as likely, how a player recovers from one concussion has no correlation on how he will recover from another.
Pickett will go through concussion protocol and, as was the case last time, he will be cleared to play in Carolina if he passes the five-step process. If not, the Steelers will start Trubisky and Mason Rudolph will be active for the first time this season.
