OK, so the Steelers played on a muddy field last Monday night.

OK, they played in a quagmire. So what?

Scoff at those who insist Heinz Field was unplayable that night. They're wrong. A game was played on the field that night. Therefore, the field was playable.

While the debate over whether an artificial playing surface should be installed at Heinz Field rages on, a more critical point is being overlooked.

The Steelers haven't been playing very well lately.

In fact, since the first half of their 38-7 thrashing of the Baltimore Ravens four weeks ago, the Steelers have regressed badly.

Granted, the game was already decided, but they went to sleep in the second half of that Baltimore game and still haven't awakened.

The following week against Cleveland, the Steelers fell behind by 15 points, rallied on the legs of a gritty quarterback and pulled out a three-point victory. That game might well have been lost, however, if a penalty hadn't nullified a Cleveland punt return that would have taken the ball deep into Pittsburgh territory during the final minute.

In other words, the Steelers didn't nail the coffin shut that day. The Browns did it for them.

On to a road game against the Jets — the 1-8 Jets at the time — and the Steelers fell behind early again. And, again, they rallied to take the lead.

Alas, they failed to salt away the victory. Nursing a three-point lead with four minutes to play, the offense couldn't generate first downs to kill the clock. In fact, the offense never registered another first down after taking the lead.

The defense failed to keep the Jets on their own side of the field, instead allowing them to drive inside the Pittsburgh 5-yard line and nearly win the game in regulation.

And this was Kellen Clemens quarterbacking the New York offense, not Joe Namath.

Now we come to the Monday night debacle.

Cry about the field all you want, but the Steelers had possession in Miami territory five times in the first half alone and failed to score any points.

The Dolphins were winless and with an offense that was down to its fourth-string running back while using a rookie quarterback making only his second NFLstart.

Combine those facts with a crappy field and the chances of Miami scoring were miniscule.

But those field conditions didn't cause Ben Roethlisberger to throw that interception to Joey Porter, killing the Steelers' first possession. And the mud didn't make the Steeler linemen get flagged for holding twice, wiping out would-be first downs deep in Dolphins' territory.

This is a Steelers ship that needs to right itself quickly. The Browns are nipping at their heels and a trip to unbeaten New England looms next Sunday.

Yeah, the playing surface at Heinz Field was ugly Monday night.

But the Steelers' performance looked just as bad.