Good color analysts are supposed to call the action as they see it, no matter how brutal their observations, and Kirk Herbstreit delivered in that respect Saturday night.
The Amazon Prime Video analyst held nothing back when discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ performance in the first half of their Wild Card game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Herbstreit called out the Steelers late in the first half as they trailed 14-0, a score that seemed deceptively close given the Ravens’ dominance in total yards and time of possession.
“If I were a Steelers fan, the thing that would concern me just watching this first half, you’re in the postseason, you’re getting dominated,” Herbstreit said. “I don’t see any fight, I don’t see any pushback. It’s one thing to lose X/Os against a really talented offense.
“But where the hell is the fight?! This is the Pittsburgh Steelers! There’s nothing! They’re just going through the motions!”
“Where the hell is the fight?! This is the Pittsburgh Steelers! There’s nothing! They’re just going through the motions!” – Kirk Herbstreit 🏈🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/MTfWosRwqj
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 12, 2025
It’s rare you’ll hear an analyst call out a team for “going through the motions” or asking “Where the hell is the fight? But the Steelers were, by any measure, bad in the first half. They were outgained in total yards, 308-59. Baltimore led in first downs, 19-2.
Herbstreit revisited the topic a few minutes later, after the Ravens scored a touchdown to go up 21-0 just before the half.
“This just did not look like Pittsburgh Steelers football in the first half,” Herbstreit said. “Just the fight, just the energy. We’ve seen that really the last four weeks. We thought in the postseason, it’s a fresh start, they’re playing the Ravens, a team that they’ve beat eight of the last 10 — the Steelers have got to show up! They’ve got to fight tonight! They didn’t in the first half.”
Kirk Herbstreit goes on again about the lack of “fight” from the Steelers in the first half.
The Ravens take a 21-0 lead into halftime. 🏈🎙️#NFL https://t.co/YUgDgE49We pic.twitter.com/9vOEsv6odq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 12, 2025
As Herbstreit alluded, the Steelers finished the regular season on a down note, losing four straight. Unfortunately for them, that carried over into the postseason.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.