If you were going to write up how the start of the 2023 season was going to go for the Pittsburgh Steelers on offense, you likely wouldn’t have expected what we’ve seen thus far after watching this unit in the preseason.
The same offense that scored on five-straight drives with the first-team unit has scored two offensive touchdowns in the last two games combined. Kenny Pickett looks like a completely different quarterback, going from having a perfect passer rating in preseason play to having two touchdowns to three interceptions and a bunch of missed throws to open receivers.
Pickett was asked about the team’s offensive struggles on Wednesday as reporters raised the question of what exactly is the identity of this offense two weeks into the season.
“We gotta find it,” Pickett said via video from Chris Adamski’s Twitter page. “Clearly, we don’t have one. We need to stay together like I keep saying. It’s a team game. It’s an ultimate team game. One guy does something wrong on one play as an offense, it usually doesn’t go your way. So, we gotta stay together. Don’t let the popcorn effect happen where it’s one guy each play.”
It’s a harsh reality, but Pickett is correct in saying that this offense has no identity right now. Head coach Mike Tomlin mentioned an emphasis on establishing the running game prior to the season, only for Pittsburgh to abandon the run altogether the first two weeks of the season due to game script and poor results. Pickett has been shaky from the start as a passer, lacking that composure and decision-making to consistently move the offense down the field.
Whether it be Pickett, OC Matt Canada, the running game, etc., there are a whole lot of factors at play here why this offense hasn’t been successful to start the 2023 campaign. Canada deserves a fair amount of blame for the offense’s struggles but blame also falls on the players for not executing and making mistakes on the field that have tended to compound on top of each other like Pickett referenced.
Still, Pickett is right in saying that the offense must stick together and battle through this rut, rather than turning around and playing the blame game. That’s not going to do this team any good, and we’ve seen the Steelers stick up for each other, like how Tomlin has stood up for Pickett and how Pickett has stood up for Canada.
The Steelers need to keep the ship steady to make it through this wave they are facing. Pickett is doing his part by trying to keep the unit together and focused on improving as a whole. He needs to work through this bad play he is currently experiencing, but it’ll be a collective effort to get this offense going in the right direction.
