Fansided

3 fatal flaws the Steelers need to figure out right now

By Russell S. Baxter

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 13: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers passes against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter in the game at Bills Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 13: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers passes against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter in the game at Bills Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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A franchise-record 11-0 start has morphed into two disheartening losses.

No team got off to a better start this season than Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers.

And, at the moment, few teams are playing worst offensively than the Black and Gold.

The lack of execution and commitment on that side of the ball is making life very difficult for one of the better defenses in the league, a unit that has not looked like itself in recent weeks when it comes to the second half of games.

“Offensively, we’re not very good,” said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (via Jim Trotter of NFL.com). “We’re not playing good football and that starts with me. So we all need to look in the mirror and understand that we all need to be better…”

Yes, the franchise has already clinched a playoff spot but still haven’t won the AFC North. And the Steelers have the Cleveland Browns nipping at their cleats. So how can this team, which gets an extra day or preparation this week, get back on track sooner than later?

1. Solve the lack of offensive balance

It’s been a problem for more than two seasons and it goes well beyond the theory that veteran Ben Roethlisberger wants to play pitch-and-catch. The experienced quarterback was not around for the vast majority of 2019 and the ground attack remained an afterthought.

Pittsburgh’s offense ran 55 plays on Sunday night at Orchard Park against the Bills and gained 224 yards in a 26-15 setback to the AFC East leaders. There were 17 runs and 38 pass plays. Over their last three games, the Steelers have totaled 51 running plays and 142 passing plays. Holy Randy Fichtner, Batman!

2. Take a few more chances

The downfield throws from Roethlisberger have been fewer and further between. Those occasional long strikes have seemingly disappeared the last few games, with the exception of Sunday night’s throw to James Washington that was picked off.

Predictability and same approach is not taking advantage of a versatile pass-catching corps. The team’s longest offensive play on Sunday night was 20 yards.

3. The hands-on approach

Early in the season, Roethlisberger and his receiving corps confounded opposing defenses. A group that includes wideouts Juju Smith-Schuster, James Washington, second-year pro Diontae Johnson and rookie Chase Claypool as well as free-agent pickup/tight end Eric Ebron were making their presence felt.

However, the drops have come in droves these past three games and it’s no wonder that a club that scored at least 26 points in its first 10 games has failed to reach the 20-point mark in three consecutive contests. Be it coaching or concentration, this is severely hampering an already-limited offense.

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The Steelers’ next game is Monday night at Cincinnati against the 2-10-1 Bengals. For Tomlin’s club, it may be more about an extra day to work on things than the opponent. It’s going to be a very brief postseason if the club doesn’t address some very basic things … quickly.

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