FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Through two games, the Steelers’ offense has gone from concerning to flat-out alarming.
Against the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh never found a rhythm. The unit came up with two turnovers, but that didn’t hide the bigger problem: the ball just wasn’t moving. The Steelers finished with a 39 percent success rate overall and kept digging holes for themselves on early downs, which kept setting up third-and-long situations they couldn’t escape.
That showed up in the third-down numbers, too. Pittsburgh went just 2 of 12, and the average distance needed was 6.3 yards. That’s a tough ask when the offense isn’t winning early and the playmaking isn’t clean enough to bail things out.
Aaron Rodgers had his share of issues. His pocket movement wasn’t sharp, and his accuracy never matched what it looked like a week earlier.
The receivers didn’t help much either, whether it was failing to separate or not finishing tough catches. Germie Bernard also tossed one into the hands of Gabe Jacas.
Up front, the line couldn’t generate much push in the run game and then broke down in pass protection, leaving Rodgers under constant pressure and duress.
The defense did its part. Pittsburgh forced two turnovers and limited the Patriots to 13 points, with New England’s defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter accounting for the final seven.
The question now is where the Steelers turn first. DK Metcalf needs to give them more after dealing with drops to open the season.
Jaylen Warren, who has looked like their best playmaker, should be getting more touches. And on the offensive line, the right side has been a mess, with Max Iheanachor plus Brock Hoffman potentially worth a look over Dylan Cook and Brock Hoffman.
However they sort it out, the bigger picture is hard to ignore: the Steelers’ offense has looked inept through two games, with just one touchdown on 22 drives to start the year.
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Steelers Drive Turned Into A Bizarre Mess Fans Need To See
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Even after the recovery, Pittsburgh was left staring at a 4th-and-43, a rare and ugly spot that summed up how badly the possession had gone off the rails. For a team trying to settle into the game and protect its rhythm, the sequence was the kind of chaos that fans replay because it is hard to believe on first watch. [Read more 🡒]