When you have a coach with a proven track record of getting the job done following the team’s bye week, that can instill some confidence in a fan base that things could trend in the right direction for an upcoming contest.
That’s the hope that fans have currently as the Steelers prepare to play to Los Angeles Rams on the road Sunday after coming off their bye week, managing to scrape out a win against the Baltimore Ravens to go to 3-2 on the season before getting some time off. The Steelers hadn’t been pretty on either side of the football leading up to their bye, having an offense that looks worse than it did a season ago as well as a defense that is getting gashed on the ground as well as allowing big games through the air.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports praised head coach Mike Tomlin for getting his team right consistently post-bye week but doesn’t see that continuing against Los Angeles given the current state of his team.
“Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is one of the most successful active head coaches of all-time,” Podell wrote. “A chunk of that success has come after the Steelers’ bye weeks. Their 12-4 record following a bye since 2007, Tomlin’s first year as head coach in Pittsburgh, is tied for the best such record in the NFL over that span. However, that success post bye-week won’t happen in 2023 against the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 7. No amount of rest and adjustments can fix what ails the Steelers. They are averaging 15.8 points per game, the third-fewest in the NFL. That would rank as their worst in a season since 1969.”
The offense has been dreadful to say the least as Pittsburgh has scored multiple offensive touchdowns just once through five games along with no scores coming on the ground. QB Kenny Pickett appears to have regressed while the running game hasn’t been able to get any traction after being a perceived strength going into the season. For a team like the Rams that is averaging 23 points per game, it means that Pittsburgh’s defense will have to have another standout performance or that the offense will need to step up to keep pace with QB Matthew Stafford and a high-flying passing attack.
While Pickett hasn’t looked great to start the year, all of the blame shouldn’t fall on him. As Podell points out, a key matchup to watch will be Pittsburgh’s underperforming offensive line facing the Rams’ attacking defensive front.
“His offensive line allows a pressure rate of 43.1%, the third-highest in the league while the Rams’ 36.6% quarterback pressure rate is the 12th-best in the NFL,” Podell wrote.
All-Pro DT Aaron Donald leads the way for Los Angeles and will be a player that Pittsburgh needs to key on heavily to keep from completely disrupting the game. Still, the Rams are getting pressure and production from other members upfront like EDGEs Michael Hoecht and Byron Young. The pass protection must improve to keep Pickett upright and sustain drives, something that Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to do consistently this season.
Pittsburgh does have a bunch of notable names coming back from injury ,like RG James Daniels, WR Diontae Johnson, and TE Pat Freiermuth, which should help bolster the offensive attack. Pair that with hopeful adjustments the team made over the bye week and the Steelers should be in better position to execute on the field. Still, we will see if Tomlin can maintain his success post-bye and get Pittsburgh to 4-2, or if the offensive struggles continue on Sunday leading to a Los Angeles victory out on the West Coast.
