The Pittsburgh Steelers went down 17-0 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday early in the second quarter. They didn’t score any points until Chris Boswell booted a 50-yard field goal at the end of the first half to bring the score to 17-3. Slow starts have been an issue for the Steelers over the past few seasons, and they’ve resurfaced over the past few weeks.
During his weekly press conference, Mike Tomlin was asked about how the Steelers fix their execution issues early in games.
“We’re just gonna keep practicing,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “I imagine we’re not the only ones who have issues with [slow starts], particularly if three out of your first four games are in hostile environments. We’re not gonna change our approach.”
Later Tomlin was asked specifically if the early run-game struggles are a problem.
“I don’t view it that way,” he said. “As I’ve mentioned, three out of four games have been in hostile venues, and the communication component and the energy associated with that oftentimes makes the run game a game of attrition, meaning that you win that war as the game proceeds. And so I don’t get overly concerned about starts, particularly from a small sample size at this early stage.”
Starting slow out of the gate on offense isn’t a major issue when your defense is playing elite football. But the Colts game revealed what can happen when the offense starts slow and the defense cracks early: a three-score deficit in the first half. With the Steelers slated to face some higher-caliber offenses as the season progresses, can they afford to hit the snooze button in the first quarter?
Tomlin attributed the road-game atmosphere as a primary reason they’ve struggled to find a rhythm early in games. The Colts were flying all over the field defensively in the first half Sunday, stuffing Najee Harris at or behind the line of scrimmage play after play. Offensive line injuries likely played a factor as well, but the reality is that defenses are much more amped up when playing in front of their home crowd, and the road environments make it much more difficult for Justin Fields and the coaching staff to communicate clearly pre-snap.
Fortunately, the Steelers will have the chance to return the favor to their opponents. Three of their next four games are at home in primetime, starting with this Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Even if Tomlin isn’t concerned about slow starts, it would be nice to see the Steelers pack some early punches on offense against an injured and vulnerable Cowboys defense. Harris will be called upon early and often with running backs Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson dealing with injuries. The Steelers need their workhorse back to get rolling early in order for Fields and the passing game to find their rhythm. Harris is a bruiser who wears defenses down late in games — and late in the season — but the Steelers still have to be better running the ball in the first half.
More practice will help, as Tomlin pointed out. The new-look offensive line will get more reps as a unit, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will learn which plays and formations to lean on when the offense struggles early. For now, here’s hoping that the thousands of Terrible Towels waving on Sunday Night in a packed Acrisure Stadium will motivate the Steelers to score some early points, giving us fans a less agonizing early-game experience each week.
