While the Pittsburgh Steelers have generally looked good offensively under QB Russell Wilson, one area where the team has really struggled is the red zone. The Steelers went 0-4 in the red zone on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens and settled for six Chris Boswell field goals in an 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Pittsburgh ranks 30th in the NFL in red-zone efficiency and 31st over its last three games at just 25% per teamrankings.com. Wilson isn’t too worried about Pittsburgh’s lack of results in the red zone, though, he did acknowledge that the Steelers need to better in that area of the field.
“I think the biggest thing is just consistency down there. We’ve done some good things,” Wilson said Tuesday via Mike DeFabo of The Athletic on Twitter. “You focus on trying to be a little bit crisper, making a couple plays. Obviously, the week before, we made some really great plays in the red zone, some touchdowns down there. So just stay focused on the next moment, I think that’s the best thing about the red zone, is the next moment is the most important one.”
It’s a testament to Pittsburgh’s defense that the Steelers were able to beat the Ravens, who entered the game with the best offense in the NFL, without scoring a touchdown, but it’s not something they can rely on consistently. For the Steelers to be a legitimate contender, their red-zone offense is going to have to improve.
One way to potentially do so is to use Justin Fields in the red zone. His legs are an asset, especially in the short red area, and that could lead to the Steelers’ red-zone offense improving. But it is something they need to address with Wilson under center, and figuring out ways to scheme guys open and put six on the board instead of three will be important.
Some of the red-zone issues have also come down to penalties bringing plays back, but besides that, the Steelers simply haven’t been good enough. They’ve had issues with spacing, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has to find a way to free up receivers when the field gets tighter.
Wilson also has to do a better job with his decision-making and getting the ball out quick. While we’ve seen four games with Wilson under center, it’s too early to really panic about the red-zone offense. But it’s an area where the Steelers need to see improvement soon, and Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns will be a good opportunity to build some momentum and consistency in that area, and hopefully they can carry it over to the rest of the season.
