Every NFL team throws in an occasional clunker. The Steelers picked a poor time for theirs

Mike Tomlin laughed. Asked if he could describe a bafflingly flat 24-10 loss to Arizona on Sunday in one word, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers coach smiled, let out a somewhat sarcastic chuckle, and cautioned that he needed to watch what he said before settling on “subpar.” The NFL regular season is a grind both physically and mentally, particularly for a team such as the Steelers that engages in rock fights weekly.