The Steelers lost their second straight game on Thursday night and both losses came to teams that entered the game with a 2-10 record.
While some may point to a poor offense or defensive breakdowns as the main reasons for the loss, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick believes there is a different root cause behind the team’s faltering against the Cardinals and Patriots. Fitzpatrick said after Thursday’s 21-18 home loss to New England that he believes there is a lot of entitlement in the team’s locker room.
“To see the fruits, you have to do it He must toil for itFitzpatrick said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “I think a lot of people don’t want to work hard for it. They just want to get out of here and think they’re going to make plays and think they’re going to perform at a high level. I think we need more people who want to work for it, and not expect it to be handed to them.” “This is the NFL. Nothing is handed to you. You have to earn everything. I think guys think they’re going to win games because they’re wearing the black and gold, and I think we need to check that mentality and make people realize that they have to have that mentality, And they’ve earned it to earn every blade of grass, every sprinkler, every rep they walk out on. They have to earn it.”
Fitzpatrick said he “wasn’t sure” the team’s mentality could change, but suggested players “evaluate why they play the game” and whether they like doing the “ugly part” necessary to pull off the wins that eluded the Steelers last time out. Two weeks.