The Pittsburgh Steelers have the third-fewest passing yards through two games of the 2024 NFL season. That doesn’t necessarily mean they have among the worst passing games as they also have the third-fewest attempts. But it sure doesn’t look great if you take No. 1 WR George Pickens and his 114 yards out of the equation.
And it continues to look worse and worse if you isolate just the wide receiver group minus Pickens. Take out the 66 yards from TE Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington’s touchdown, and you don’t have much left. Between Scotty Miller, Van Jefferson, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, and Calvin Austin III, Steelers wide receivers not named George Pickens have five catches on nine targets for 28 yards.
Let me repeat that: Steelers receivers minus Pickens have caught five passes for 28 yards over two games. And it’s not like Pickens is putting up some astronomical numbers or that others are losing plays due to penalties. It’s just that they’re not doing much—even if they’re not being asked to do much.
“We’ve done enough to be 2-0”, Austin said, via Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, defending the Steelers’ receiver depth. “We’re 2-0, and that’s what matters”. While technically true, 14 yards from your supporting wide receivers is not conducive to future wins.
Van Jefferson has three catches for the Steelers for 15 yards on five targets. Calvin Austin III has two catches for 13 yards on four targets. Roman Wilson hasn’t even played yet while neither Scotty Miller nor Ben Skowronek have a target. Skowronek, now on IR, has only played six offensive snaps.
The Steelers run heavy tight end sets, but they don’t utilize them in the passing game. Darnell Washington has two catches on two targets, and MyCole Pruitt has one on two. Even Pat Freiermuth only has eight targets though he has caught them all.
Obviously, the low volume of the Steelers’ passing game is at the forefront of this discussion. A lot of that has to do with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s preferences, the Steelers’ leads, and Justin Fields as the quarterback.
But perhaps the Steelers would throw the ball more if they also had a more robust receiving corps. After all, they nearly managed to trade for Brandon Aiyuk. What were they planning to do once they acquired him, even if they didn’t expect to?
Many believe Roman Wilson is the Steelers’ only legitimate hope for a true No. 2 WR this year, but he has yet to play due to an ankle injury sustained early in training camp. Jefferson is running second, but not seeing many targets, clearly. The veteran isn’t worried about his role or his production, however.
“Things are starting to open up for us”, Jefferson insisted via Rutter, noting the Steelers’ focus on Pickens. “You have to run the routes that are called and the plays that are called and execute them to the best of your ability. All of us just want to win. It’s only two weeks. Stuff will start clicking soon”.
If the Los Angeles Chargers try to take Pickens away on Sunday, then something better click for somebody else. Whether it’s Jefferson or Austin or Miller or Freiermuth or whomever, the Steelers will need somebody to make a play.
