Overreactions from Steelers Nation: Just be happy with a win!
Welcome to my weekly edition of “Overreactions from Steelers Nation” a weekly column where I poke fun at fans, reporters, and so-called experts while trying to figure out if some of these hot takes are real – or just for attention.
Week 1 of the 2022 NFL regular season was one of the more interesting ones when it pertains to recent season openers for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As a 6.5-point underdog entering Sunday’s game against the defending AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, most of the experts weren’t predicting that the Steelers would walk out of Paycor Stadium victorious.
The 23-20 overtime victory left a lot to be desired, for sure. Some fans are questioning various aspects of the team, such as QB Mitchell Trubisky, the offensive line, offensive coordinator Matt Canada, and even the timeless (pun intended) questioning of Mike Tomlin’s clock management.
Then there was the fallout of injuries. T.J. Watt, who is expected to miss the next month or more of action due to a pectoral tear, is considered a good sign compared with the alternative of missing the entire season. RB Najee Harris appears to be dealing with a Lisfranc injury that nagged him throughout training camp.
Losing either the reigning Defensive Player of the Year or last season’s rushing leader could prove detrimental to the Steelers future. Also consider both are team captains.
It got me thinking: when is a win, a win?
Of course, the score isn’t important in the end, and a win within the AFC North will come up huge later in the season should tiebreakers come into play. (As well as seeding within the conference playoffs.) Yet, something felt totally off at times.
First, losing Watt is huge. He created chaos and looked like he was ready to wrap up a repeat of winning the Defensive MVP award within one game. Losing him for any period of time puts the defense at a disadvantage.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alex Highsmith, and Cameron Heyward all popped off of the page on Sunday too, each creating spectacular highlights against a universally accepted league-best of offensive opponents. Yet, those opponents were still able to run 100 snaps and force the game into overtime.
This, after the surging Steelers defense forced five turnovers.
How could that be possible? One only has to look at the other side of the ball. The Steelers offense struggled – maybe as much as it had last season.
Some are pointing the finger at Trubisky, the man chosen to replace future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger as the team’s quarterback. Trubisky’s play was positive and negative – he avoided sacks, didn’t turn the ball over, and made just enough plays to aid in the team’s win.
Is just enough good enough? All I can say is that it has to be better.
Through five quarters of football, the former second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft failed to pass for 200 yards (194) and completed only 55.26% of his passes. His second quarter was marred with a near strip-sack, near pick, and only 36 yards passing.
The shrewd eye will discern as I had all offseason, that Trubisky relies primarily on his checkdowns to backs and tight ends. His biggest plays were a screen pass to TE Zach Gentry, a flea flicker to Pat Freiermuth, a free play (via penalty) back to Freiermuth again, and a one-handed catch from Diontae Johnson that likely rivals most highlight reels for top billing.
The remaining 17 passes were good for 80 yards or 4.7 per pass… which is what you’d want your run game to achieve, not your passing game.
Part of the blame has been shifted to the OC, Canada, who should receive criticism – especially for calling a pass play following a forced injury timeout in an attempt to make the Bengals burn timeouts and chew clock. That final series before Cincinnati tied the game was a master class in what not to do with clock management, and as the head of the team, Mike Tomlin gets a finger pointed in his direction too.
Some will point back at the offensive line and a lack of a run game. Harris, along with rookie RB Jaylen Warren, averaged 2.3 yards-per-carry. That won’t cut it either, but you have to wonder if some of that rests of the Steelers still leaning on short passes and not pushing the ball downfield.
In other words, the Bengals, who already have a good (if not great) defense, were able to load up the box and stop the run, or just rush the passer.
That nearly got Trubisky in hot water on more than one occasion, including an ill-advised play-action pass deep in their own territory, which luckily didn’t result in a safety. (The tight end bailed him out again!)
One of the hottest rookies of the preseason, WR George Pickens, was effectively neutered too, with a single catch (three targets) for three yards. There were also times where, for some unknown reason, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool weren’t on the field for critical third downs, as the team opted instead for Miles Boykin and Gunner Olszewski. Nothing against the latter two, but there’s a reason Johnson landed a new contract and Claypool was so heavily utilized throughout the game, in a Deebo Samuel style role.
That kind of stuff rests with the coaching staff, and it leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of folks who watched the Steelers offense struggle over the last few seasons. Much of it appears to be carryover from Canada’s first season as coordinator last year. Those mistakes were supposedly due to having a 39-year-old immobile quarterback, yet there’s plenty of meat on the bone from Sunday’s game to suggest that maybe Big Ben wasn’t the problem after all.
Still, it’s only one game to go by.
The Bengals are in fact, the defending AFC Champions. They played in the Super Bowl. They returned their entire team from last season, while adding key free agents in weak areas, such as their offensive line. With the Steelers going on the road, embarrassing the league’s new showpiece quarterback Joe Burrow (and that expensive O-line), and walking out with a win, maybe there is something more to celebrate.
Going forward, one has to hope that the offense can turn things around quickly and that the defense can maintain a level of competitiveness. The pessimists will view the game as barely surviving for a win, while the optimists believe the defense can still aid the offense. The time of possession disparity and the lack of the Steelers offense sustaining drives is crucial, as they can’t rely on the defense to force five turnovers or the opponent to miss game-winning kicks every week – especially now without T.J. Watt for the next month or two.
However, the bells of victory can’t ring for too long in the “Not For Long” league. Whether you enjoyed the victory or not, the team is already moving on to their next opponent this Sunday.
This first game probably left more questions than answers: with the former dominating the latter until we get to see the Steelers suit up against the Patriots.
