A lot was made of the potential physicality of the Week One matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers in the days leading up to the game. Unfortunately, it appears that only one of the teams got the memo about it being a physical battle, and that was the visiting 49ers.
On Tuesday’s episode of the Mina Kimes Podcast featuring Lenny, Kimes discussed Pittsburgh’s 30-7 loss with her guest, former Baltimore Ravens CB Domonique Foxworth. The majority of their discussion focused on the offense’s struggles thanks in large part to San Francisco’s defense.
“The way they tackle is so different from the rest of the NFL,” Kimes said. “The way they rally to the football, the speed and physicality with which they play with. The Steelers just looked so outmatched, and then Pickett didn’t help. He was inaccurate, he was clearly flustered. He reminded me a little bit of how he looked at the beginning of his tenure last season when he came in. I think he’ll be better.”
Pittsburgh struggled through the offense’s first five drives in the game. The offense failed to gain a first down until the sixth possession when they marched 95 yards in 1:25 to score a touchdown before the end of the first half. Pickett was sacked twice in the first half, and the offense lost yards on three separate plays throughout the first five drives. The offense simply could not get going, and part of it was the tenaciousness of the 49ers defense.
The other part was simply offensive failures. As Kimes pointed out, Pickett was at best uncomfortable throughout the game. Whether by design or due to San Francisco scoring on each of their first four possessions, Pickett was throwing early and often. He dropped back 11 times versus 15 offensive plays in the first five drives. It was unbalanced for a team that preached balance throughout training camp and preseason. At the end of the day, the Steelers only ran the ball a total of 10 times, six carries for 31 yards for RB Najee Harris, three carries for six yards by RB Jaylen Warren, and one carry for four yards by Pickett.
Back to Kimes’ guest, Foxworth. He had some interesting thoughts on the playcalling by Pittsburgh’s embattled offensive coordinator, Matt Canada.
“I assumed that it was Matt Canada, more of the same,” Foxworth said. “That man threw on first down so much in the first half. They were successful plays, most of them. I just imagine that he’s thinking of all the criticism, and he’s like ‘Look, see I did it! And it didn’t work!’ He wants us all to see he tried to do early-down passes, that many of them in the first half were completed, but they still went three-and-out and turned it over.”
Could the playcalling in the first half have been Canada trying to prove his doubters wrong in more ways than one? Perhaps. However, when you listen to WR George Pickens’ comments about seeing different coverages than what the offense prepared for, it seems more like this was an example of the Steelers being outcoached when they had the ball.
So a combination of San Francisco’s physical defense and an apparent lack of quality preparation (and execution) did the Steelers in. They only managed to run more than three plays in a drive five times Sunday afternoon, and one of those five drives was only four plays. Something needs to change on offense and quick. However, the injury to WR Diontae Johnson only further complicates things for Pickett, Canada, and crew.
Then the test doesn’t get any easier when the Cleveland Browns roll into Pittsburgh for a Monday night showdown, fresh off of a thorough defensive takedown of the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-3. Star DE Myles Garrett helped lead the way, harassing offensive linemen with one sack, two quarterback hits, and an additional three quarterback hurries. That does not bode well for LT Dan Moore Jr. who had one of the worst performances by an offensive tackle league-wide against the 49ers.
Canada needs to get back into his office and figure out how to put his playmakers in the best position possible while keeping the heat off of Pickett. That’s what offensive coordinators are supposed to do. Now it’s time for him to show whether he can or not. It’s going to be another physical battle Monday, and the Steelers need to prove that this time, they’re playing bully ball.
