Former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback and current analyst Bryant McFadden is among those unimpressed with the offense through the Steelers’ first two games of the season. On the All Things Covered podcast with current Steelers CB Patrick Peterson, McFadden said the Steelers have too much offensive talent to look as bad as they have. He specifically mentioned the need to get the ball more to WR George Pickens and rookie TE Darnell Washington.
“We got too many dudes on offense for us to be flatlining, to say the least,” McFadden said.
While Pickens had a big game on Monday against the Browns, pulling in four receptions for 127 yards, McFadden thinks there’s room for more. He wants to see QB Kenny Pickett push the ball more to Pickens, especially when he’s matched up against an inferior cornerback.
“When he touches the football, good things happen. He is a guy who is the energizer bunny for our offense. And Kenny Pickett gotta realize, when I see 14 on a guy who really ain’t that guy like that, we gotta go to ‘em,” he said.
As for Washington, McFadden isn’t happy the Steelers have yet to go to him in the red zone. To be fair, they didn’t even make it to the red zone in the win on Monday, so it would’ve been impossible to get anyone a red zone touch, but that’s another problem entirely. But McFadden thinks the 6-foot-7 tight end should be getting more looks due to his ability to outjump corners.
“Darnell Washington, I don’t think he’s seen a target yet in the red zone. Darnell, we gonna play basketball,” he said. “Get the rebound. I’m throwing you the fade ball. Box him out, jump over his head, get it.”
The offense has just been bad in general. The run game has yet to get going, the offensive line has struggled, and most glaringly, Pickett has struggled. He hasn’t been accurate and hasn’t made good reads, and it’s caused the Steelers to struggle. The only offensive touchdown the team scored on Monday was a strike to Pickens that he was able to turn into a touchdown with some nice yards after the catch on the 71-yard score.
McFadden is right that good things happen when Pickens gets the ball. Pickett wants to get him the ball more, and that’s going to be especially important with Diontae Johnson sidelined for at least the next three games with a hamstring injury. Washington won’t have much of an offensive impact, and him not getting the ball is the furthest of the Steelers’ worries at the moment. But when they do get their red zone opportunities, I’d hope Washington is heavily featured.
Peterson has confidence the offense will turn things around.
“It’s going to show its head eventually,” he said.
If it doesn’t show up quickly, the Steelers are going to dig themselves a hole they may not be able to climb out of. It’s the second straight year that the offense has been lackluster and offensive coordinator Matt Canada needs to show he can be a competent play caller at the NFL level. I’m not as confident in that happening after the disastrous last two weeks, but the next few games will likely determine how far the Steelers can go this year.
Watch the full podcast below:
