Russell Wilson took over as quarterback two months ago. During that time, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense has played well for the most part. They’ve picked up six wins with Wilson at the helm. However, they also had a couple of ugly performances in that span. Last week, Pittsburgh’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles showcased some of those struggles. Pittsburgh is shorthanded, missing their star WR George Pickens. At the moment, it looks like Pickens will also miss this week’s showdown between the Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.
Losing Pickens hurts the Steelers, obviously. It also changes the way the offense operates. As soon as Wilson took over, he and Pickens formed a connection. The two have transcended the offense into one that actively attempts to push the ball down the field, something the Steelers haven’t seen in a while.
If the Steelers are without Pickens against the Ravens, things will get a whole lot tougher. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky feels the same way. On NFL Live on Wednesday, Orlovsky expressed his opinion that the Ravens wouldn’t be too weary of the Steelers’ passing attack.
“Even with Pickens in the game, they [Ravens] weren’t necessarily scared of them [Steelers] taking shots downfield ’cause they played less man, a little bit more zone,” Orlovsky said, referring to the first matchup between the two teams. “And maybe to George, they [Ravens] gave a little cushion… I would expect, if George Pickens doesn’t play in this game, you’re gonna get a ton of single-high. You’re gonna get a ton of people down near the football who’s not gonna be scared of their [Steelers] pass game.”
Orlovsky claims that Baltimore will stack the box against Pittsburgh. If Pickens doesn’t suit up, Orlovsky might be right. The Steelers’ offense didn’t look the same without Pickens against the Eagles, and it looked much less explosive. Baltimore already contained the Steelers’ offense in their first meeting, even with Pickens on the field. There is reason to be concerned about the Steelers’ passing attack.
The Ravens already have one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL. If they stack the box on Saturday, it will be hard for Pittsburgh to get anything going on the ground. Russell Wilson needs to play well, and the rest of the receiving room needs to prove themselves to be a threat if the Steelers are going to come away with a win.
