PITTSBURGH -- After a Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers are staring at a mess that touches nearly every corner of the roster.
The defeat was especially rough because it exposed so many of the same issues at once. The secondary got picked apart.
The offensive line was overwhelmed by Cleveland’s front. And Aaron Rodgers, at 42, looked every bit his age.
That leaves Pittsburgh headed into Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts with a simple question hanging over everything: how close is this team to the edge?
The answer, at least by the Punturi Panic Meter, is uncomfortably close. The scale runs from 1 to 10, and several spots on this roster are already flashing red.
Wide receiver sits at the top of the concern list. DK Metcalf finally posted a 100-yard game on Thursday Night Football, but it remains to be seen whether that was a real turning point or just a one-time spike.
Michael Pittman Jr. and Rodgers still are not on the same page. Roman Wilson has been the most reliable pass-catcher, though his mistakes have directly hurt the Steelers.
Rookie Germie Bernard has flashed when given chances, but he still can’t break into meaningful snaps.
Special teams is another problem area that keeps getting uglier. Chris Boswell has too strong a track record to ignore, but his start has been rough.
The rest of the unit has not helped, either. Returns have been basically nonexistent, kick coverage has leaked yards, and rookie Kaden Wetjen has not looked ready for the role he was brought in to fill.
The concerns go well beyond the skill positions. Head coach Mike McCarthy said the team needed to clean up its own house, and that much is hard to argue with.
But saying the Steelers needed a day of self-reflection heading into Week 5 does not exactly project confidence. His offensive plans have worked only once in four games, and the defense has now struggled in back-to-back outings, putting more heat on coordinator Patrick Graham.
The secondary may be the most fragile part of the roster right now. Jamel Dean is expected to miss time with a lower-body injury, which leaves Asante Samuel Jr. and rookie Daylen Everette as the main outside corners.
That is a dangerous setup. Safety is not much better.
DeShon Elliott still has not had his practice window opened, and there is no clear timeline for that to change. Rayshawn Jenkins, signed to help stabilize things, has not shown enough.
Rookie Robert Spears-Jennings has been the best of the group, which tells you plenty.
The offensive line was supposed to be a strength, but it has not played like one. Mason McCormick has been the best performer through four games.
Zach Frazier and Troy Fautanu have both taken their lumps, while rookie Max Iheanachor is learning on the fly at right tackle. There is promise here, but right now there is more worry than comfort.
Linebacker has been just as inconsistent. Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson have alternated between active and invisible from week to week, and that kind of up-and-down play cannot hold over a full season.
Rodgers is not the biggest issue on the roster, but his lack of mobility is a real problem. He is taking sacks he needs to avoid, and the offense is going to keep suffering if he cannot move out of trouble more often. If that doesn’t change, the whole operation is in trouble.
There are some steadier spots. Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth have been dependable and available, even if they still need to create more separation in space. When both are part of the plan, the offense tends to function better.
Up front on defense, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith have done their jobs.
Watt has 4.5 sacks and Highsmith has 3.0 through four games, so production is not the issue there. The bigger question is how to get Nick Herbig more involved beyond using him as an off-ball linebacker.
Then there is Jaylen Warren, who has been one of the few players giving Pittsburgh exactly what it needs. Without Rico Dowdle, Warren has thrived.
He has run the ball 34 times over the last two games for more than 200 yards, and he has also stayed heavily involved as a receiver with at least six targets in each game this season. Unless injuries interrupt the momentum, he is the one player who does not belong on the worry list.
In Other News...
Steelers Fans May See Joey Porter Jr. Trade Very Differently Now
The Cowboys acquisition of Joey Porter Jr. came with the usual instant questions about what comes next, but the early read on his approach may ease some of that anxiety. Rather than pushing immediately for a new deal, Porter is reportedly willing to play out his current contract, which gives Dallas some breathing room as it sorts through the longer-term picture around one of its newest defensive additions.
For Steelers fans, that detail may change the way the move is viewed from afar. Porters market value is estimated at around $27.4 million per year, so the price tag is still substantial, but the bigger issue now appears to be how much security and how many years the Cowboys want to offer when the time comes. The contract conversation is not going away, but the early signs suggest this may be more about fit and timing than any urgent showdown over money. [Read more 🡒]
Missing Steelers Fan Case In Cleveland Just Took A Disturbing Turn
A trip to Cleveland for a football game has turned into a search that now carries real weight. Phoenix Phillips, a 24-year-old from Maryland, was last seen downtown after attending the game, and police have said his disappearance is concerning. His phone was found, adding to the unease around a case that has quickly moved beyond a simple missing-person report.
Authorities have also recovered an unidentified body near the area where Phillips was last known to be, though they have not confirmed any connection. The investigation remains active, and online chatter has added another layer of noise around Phillips, with unverified allegations tying him to unauthorized trading and scamming. For now, though, the only thing that matters is the unanswered question of what happened after he left the game. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers LB Cole Holcomb Shares A Feel Good Life Update
For a Steelers defense still trying to settle in through a 2-2 start, Cole Holcomb has had a more personal milestone to celebrate away from the field. Holcomb and his wife, Casey, welcomed their second child this week, a baby boy named Drew Jarrett, or DJ, adding a bright spot to a season that has already had its share of on-field grind for the veteran inside linebacker.
Holcomb has continued to be part of Pittsburghs mix in the middle of the defense, even as the early weeks have brought a little bit of everything, including an NFL fine for a blindside block on a special teams play in Week 3. The newborn news, though, is the kind of update that can reset a players week in a hurry, and it gives Holcomb and his family a memorable moment as the Steelers move deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]