Steelers’ Offensive Blame Game Must End as Real Games Begin

From up high at Acrisure Stadium Monday night, it appeared to me as though the Cleveland Browns defense came into Pittsburgh with one goal on their mind: stop the run. Force Kenny Pickett into unmanageable third and long situations and allow their premium edge rusher Myles Garrett to tee off on the second-year signal caller. From my vantage point, the Browns succeeded - at least in stopping the run. All night, Cleveland’s safeties dared Pittsburgh to pass, hovering near the line of scrimmage and playing downfield. This resulted in just one explosive play of any real consequence for Pickett and company: the 71-yard catch and run from George Pickens that resulted in six points.

What our rivals from Cleveland did not account for was a legendary night from TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, whose two combined defensive scores were the difference in Monday night’s affair. Needless to say, performances like what we just witnessed from the Steelers’ defense are unsustainable, and the offense must pick up some of its slack for this team to go anywhere of note in 2023.

But to pinpoint where the issues with this offense in its current state begin is like asking an age-old philosophical question with no answer. Forget “chicken or the egg.” At least that one has an actual answer.  In Pittsburgh, the endless round table discussion has become “the players, or Matt Canada?”

Even asking the Steelers themselves in post-game press conferences yields no concrete answers: players divert blame from Canada to themselves for their lack of execution, while members of the coaching staff such as Canada himself are vaguer in their responses. Such is life in the NFL: players in leadership positions shoulder the blame for on-field failures while coaches keep the truth closer to the vest.

Through two weeks, the question remains. Is it Pickett’s fault? Najee’s fault? Does a rebuilt offensive line deserve some blame? Or does the fault lie with the man calling the plays from above? As with most problems in any team or organization, you can save time and energy by just saying, “yes to all.”

In two weeks, the Steelers have dismantled any and all hype surrounding their offensive performance in the preseason, proving that exhibition games are only good for hoodwinking NFL fan bases. Kenny Pickett’s precision in passing the ball has begun to wane as the games begin to count, having thrown more interceptions than touchdowns so far in 2023 - a trend that has unfortunately continued from his rookie season. Najee Harris has struggled to find his footing in early downs, inevitably ceding touches to backup Jaylen Warren, who has found success running the ball albeit in down-and-distance scenarios when the opposing defense isn’t expecting it.

Still, it seems that any spark provided by Warren, Pickens or even Calvin Austin is quickly extinguished. The Steelers go back to their so-called bread and butter and force the run, even if it means “getting cute” and calling jet sweeps or RPOs to manufacture yards on the ground. That’s how you get Kenny Pickett keeping the ball on a key third-and-one that would’ve sealed the game late, rather than Pickett counting on a defensive stop by rookie Joey Porter Jr. from the sidelines on the Browns’ final drive.

And yet, even with all the “square peg, round hole” conundrums complicating the offense and their play calling, we’d all be calling Matt Canada a genius - that is, if his plays were executed as intended. On the aforementioned third-and-one late in the game, Pickett appeared to misread his block from tight end Darnell Washington, cutting outside the block rather than running straight ahead and diving for a conversion. If converted, the play would still be in the playbook heading into Las Vegas for the Steelers’ week three matchup against the Raiders. Alas, the Brown’s defense made the play, sending Presley Harvin III out for yet another punt, proving that a punter on a good night can indeed be your best offensive weapon.

In a game featuring seven Steelers punts, there are simply too many “cute” plays in the Steelers’ playbook that can’t and won’t work at the NFL level, at least not with their current personnel. The most successful runs from Pittsburgh came on broken plays, with Najee Harris reversing field after being bottled up in the backfield. The best passing plays only worked when they happened organically, with Kenny Pickett standing tall in the pocket, absorbing a hit, and finding George Pickens across the middle against soft zone coverage. Seemingly every other attempt to pass the football relied on heavy “window-dressing,” late motions by eligible receivers, and moving the pocket for Pickett. And even then, the plays might’ve been successful if not negated by penalties, interceptions, or fumbles.

Thankfully for Pittsburgh and the fans at Acrisure, the Browns are struggling to find their own offensive identity, a struggle that will no doubt grow more frustrating in the absence of running back Nick Chubb. Misery indeed loves company. If there’s any solace for the 32 NFL teams to find early on in the season, it’s that everyone's still in the hunt. Everyone’s a work in progress.

For the Steelers, there’s comfort to be found in last year’s formula - that despite whatever comes your way in September and October, things can indeed be turned around in the second half. Needless to say, the course must be corrected sooner rather than later for the Steelers to have any hope of making the playoffs. And not just making it there, but actually winning for once in seven seasons.

A long, earnest look at the offense’s utter futility is in order. Whether it requires getting on the same page with all coaches and personnel or totally hitting the reset button regarding their offensive schemes and philosophies, the work must be put in now. Admitting failure and fault is the first step in recovery, as anyone in the field of rehabilitation will tell you. For the Steelers, rehabbing their offense goes beyond calling the right plays and executing them once they’re called. It means ending the never-ending cycle of placing blame and admitting that everyone has a hand in the pile.

At the top, head coach Tomlin may be feeling the most tepid “hot seat” he’s ever experienced as head coach. In the transition from an aging Ben Roethlisberger to a young Kenny Pickett and the multiple offensive coordinator changes that preceded it, Tomlin has been rather mum, practicing patience with Matt Canada as his offensive play caller. Tomlin’s legacy may ultimately be defined in how he navigates through the upcoming weeks of late September and October, especially now following a victory versus the AFC North rival Browns and the currently 2-0 Ravens next up at Acrisure in week five.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s just a matter of a few weeks. No one can solve the endless philosophical questions plaguing this offense, even if it does boil down to either “player, or coach.” Leave that for sports talk radio. At the team headquarters, it all comes down to the simple remedy of open communication and team-building. Perhaps more go-kart racing in Latrobe is in order? Or something as basic as a series of trust falls between Canada and his players? Whatever the case, Tomlin must work his magic to get this offense to a point where it’s contributing to, not hindering, his team’s success.