Since stepping into the starting lineup in Week 7 against the New York Jets, veteran quarterback Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers have had some issues in the red zone.
Those issues were exacerbated in the last two weeks as the Steelers struggled to convert in the red zone in Weeks 11 and 12 against the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. The Steelers went 1-1, beating the Ravens by kicking six field goals but losing to the Browns after being unable to convert one red-zone trip into a touchdown.
Entering Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers have the league’s 30th-ranked red-zone offense, sitting at 44.7 percent. The Steelers are ahead of just the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, who just so happen to be two of the league’s worst teams overall.
It’s a real concern and has many talking about how to fix the red-zone issues, whether that’s turning to the Justin Fields package inside the 20-yard line or trimming the number of personnel packages the Steelers are trying down there under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday ahead of the Steelers’ Week 13 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Wilson laid out how to fix the red-zone issues on a broad level.
“I think the thing is we’ve just gotta stay on schedule and first and second down, I think that’s a big thing. And then, it’s always about playmaking down there. We gotta make plays and we gotta find plays, and I don’t think we’re far off,” Wilson said, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “I definitely don’t think that. I think we’ve played two tough games over the past two weeks, and I believe in us.
“I know how capable we are and I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to the next six-plus games.”
Staying on schedule and having manageable down and distances in the red zone would be nice. It’s not the biggest problem, though. Some of the play calling, the personnel packages and the lack of creativity down there have hindered the Steelers.
They’ve had some success at times, but in recent weeks it’s all been a mess. That has many questioning the long-term viability of the Steelers’ offense as the schedule toughens.
Wilson is ever the optimist, though, and believes that by staying in manageable situations and putting themselves in the best situations to make plays will win out in the end with the talent that the Steelers have offensively.
“We’ve had third and longs a lot down there, it seems like, you know? And so, we gotta make sure that we’re getting ourselves the best chance to run all of our red-zone plays that we practice and do everything that we’re prepared to do,” Wilson said. “I think that’s important. I think, obviously, in Washington we hit some things. I think the Giants, we should have had a few more there, so you can’t look at the whole part of it. You gotta look forward to the next game, the next moment, the next time you’re down there.”
It’s a good attitude to have. Right now with the struggles the Steelers are having down there, they have the right quarterback in place, one who exudes confidence and optimism. It can be easy to wallow in the struggles and start pressing, but that doesn’t appear to be what Wilson is doing.
That should be calming to the rest of the offense as a whole. Hopefully with the mini bye week giving the Steelers a chance to reset and adjust from a schematic standpoint in the red zone, they can get back on track in the money area of the field, allowing them to put up more points and start stacking wins once again.
