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Steelers C Mason Cole can't explain lack of tempo in 2nd half

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In the first half of Thursday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steeler used an up-tempo offense to generate yards, sustain drives and put points on the board. It really showcased the strength of quarterback Mitch Trubisky and gave everyone hope.

Then in the second half, it all changed. Pittsburgh almost completely abandoned using tempo and slowed everything down. The results were less than ideal and resulted in multiple three-and-outs, putting the defense back on the field quickly on multiple occasions.

Starting center Mason Cole acknowledged this happened but offered no explanation when asked about it. Cole is also the guy who said the offense lacked an identity after the team’s loss to the New England Patriots.

The people who should be asked about this are head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Shifting away from what works and then not shifting back is not uncommon for this coaching staff yet they have never offered any sort of clarification about it. This week Pittsburgh hopes to snap their two-game losing streak.