For athletes, confidence is everything. This game requires such a heightened level of mental toughness that anyone who doesn’t have it has lost before even taking a snap. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially this still-young offense, they’re in a bit of a fragile state. Two poor outings in two weeks for a unit feeling the heat of mounting criticism, starting with their offensive coordinator and trickling down to the players.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday via the team’s YouTube channel, Mike Tomlin acknowledged confidence could be an issue for young players if Pittsburgh doesn’t start producing better results. He was asked about that risk after two lackluster games.
“You do,” Tomlin said when asked if he worried players’ confidence could be impacted. “But there’s a lot of things that you worry about. It can’t paralyze you. It certainly can’t paralyze us in terms of training them and demanding that they can continue to work and position themselves to be what they’re capable of being and what we need them to be.”
Though the question and answer didn’t name anyone in particular, the focus starts with QB Kenny Pickett. The team’s clear-cut starter entering the season, expectations were high before the team even reported to training camp. They went through the roof after the team’s stellar preseason performance, the starters going five-for-five, scoring touchdowns on all five drives they played across their three preseason games. His beginning to the regular season has been the complete opposite.
Against San Francisco, the Steelers’ offense went three-and-out (or ended in a turnover) on its first five possessions. Things weren’t much better against Cleveland. While he made a good throw in the face of pressure to hit George Pickens for a 71-yard touchdown, Pickett otherwise struggled. He finished the day completing only half his passes, with one interception, and could’ve been picked off multiple more times.
Spearheading this offense, Pickett must play better Sunday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. One game can be a fluke, especially in Week One against a vaunted San Francisco 49ers’ defense in a game where Pittsburgh quickly fell behind. Two games is the beginning of a pattern, especially in a game where the Steelers were competitive throughout. The lack of a run game remains a clear problem, doing Pickett no favors, but he’s not doing anyone else favors either.
While the Steelers netted their first win of the season — and they’ll take it any way they can get it — it’s not a sustainable model in a difficult AFC North and AFC at large. Baltimore’s passing game looks explosive, Cincinnati won’t always be this bad, and it’s an era where points are at a premium. Sample sizes are still small but two games in, the Steelers rank 26th in points at 16.5 per game and the defense has as many touchdowns this season as the offense. There’s still time to rebound but the NFL provides little margin for error. Pickett will have to hold his head up high and start showing he’s this team’s franchise quarterback.
