The Pittsburgh Steelers are on a three-game losing streak, which feels all too familiar around this time of year. After they were routed by the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, 29-10, NFL analysts and fans are beginning to throw around the dreaded “F-word” to label the Steelers team (frauds). That may be a little harsh, since the Steelers still have a 6-3 record against teams that are at least.500. Not to mention that their losing streak came in what was quite possibly the toughest three games in 11 days in NFL history (at Baltimore, at Philadelphia, Kansas City).
Pete Prisco, a senior writer and NFL analyst for CBS Sports, has expressed his doubts about the Steelers all season, and he doubled down on his take this morning by slotting the Steelers 12th in his latest power rankings.
“When we talk about the Steelers what do we usually say? Physical, run the ball, play great defense,” Prisco said. “They don’t really run the ball that well. And the defense isn’t as good as it has been in recent years. That’s a problem for them. This is a Mike Tomlin team, that’s why they’re in the playoffs. They’ve overachieved. They’re vulnerable in the playoffs.”
It’s hard to refute any of Prisco’s claims based on the last three weeks.
The Steelers have given up 90 points over that span, and over 400 yards of offense in two of the three games. While they ran the ball well against the Chiefs, they’ve struggled to establish the run early against the better defenses that they’ve faced. And it’s tough to argue that they’re playing physical, smashmouth, “Steeler football,” when they’re missing tackles left and right in the secondary and the offensive line is getting bullied at times.
All those negatives aside, that three week stretch doesn’t paint the picture for the entire season.
The Steelers were considered elite defensively until the last few weeks, near the top of the NFL in turnovers forced and fewest points allowed per game. Their pass rush is as deep and talented as any unit in the league, and Cam Heyward is playing like he drank from the Fountain of Youth this offseason.
It doesn’t help that they were pretty banged up headed into matchups against the Eagles and Ravens, who have two of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses. Now that they’re getting healthy again, there’s no excuses for the frequent communication issues, lack of takeaways, and lack of quarterback pressure going forward.
The real question is have the Steelers overachieved? With Mike Tomlin coaching, the Steelers will almost always win more games than they should. He’s excellent at getting the most out of all 53 of his players. From a pure roster standpoint, the Steelers aren’t exactly brimming with offensive talent. George Pickens is remarkable, but there aren’t many true pass-catching weapons outside of him. But with Russell Wilson at quarterback, Arthur Smith calling plays, and a balanced rushing attack, the Steelers’ offense is capable of reaching a ceiling not touched since Big Ben’s glory days.
In order to prove that they haven’t overachieved already this season, the Steelers need to return to their offensive production before this three-game skid. There couldn’t be a better get-right game for the offense than the Cincinnati Bengals, whom the Steelers put up 44 on just a month ago.
As for the defense, a solid outing against Joe Burrow and one of the hottest offenses in the league could rejuvenate them before the playoffs. And in the NFL playoffs, anything can happen.
