The Pittsburgh Steelers are backing their way into the playoffs harder than ever before. They may have clinched their spot in the postseason weeks ago, but they became just one of three teams in league history to enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. Will they be like the one-and-done Detroit Lions in 1999, or will they be like the 1986 Jets and at least win a playoff game? Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner isn’t too optimistic.
“Something’s gotta change very, very quickly if they’ve got any chance to make some run in the playoffs,” Warner said via NFL Network’s NFL GameDay Morning. “…I’m not sure a whole lot can be fixed.
“Russell Wilson, I don’t think is the best drop-back passer, and so when he’s had his success, it’s been more creating, throwing down the field, or just those one-0n-one throws. And that’s really where they’ve gotten away these last four weeks.”
Over his first six starts with the Steelers, Wilson was on a 17-game pace of 4,607 passing yards, 28.3 TDs, and 8.5 INTs with a 5-1 record. Those are borderline-MVP numbers. Over his last five games, Wilson is on a 17-game pace of 2,910 passing yards, 20.4 TDs, and 6.8 INTs and a 1-4 record. Those numbers are barely good enough to justify remaining the starting quarterback.
Wilson has lost whatever it was that was making him special earlier in the season. It’s strange because that wasn’t a flash in the pan in the context of his entire career. He was looking how Wilson used to look with the Seattle Seahawks for nearly 10 years. Now he’s reverted to the two-year stint with the Denver Broncos where very little goes right.
The thing that has gone missing from his game is the deep ball. Over those first six games, he had 30 completions that resulted in an explosive play of 20 or more yards. Over the last five games he’s had 10 such plays and four of them were in the win over the Cleveland Browns just before the four-game losing streak.
“If something’s gotta be fixed, it’s getting back to taking five, six, seven of those shots during the game and hoping that George Pickens, Mike Williams, whomever can come up with those plays,” Warner said. “I just don’t think they have the consistency in them to play that brand of football.
“…I don’t see a scheme, I don’t see a consistency level of Russell Wilson reading the defenses and picking ’em apart that I just, I don’t think they can bank on, hey, we’re gonna go play 12-play drive football and just pick people apart and score. They need those big chunk plays if they’re gonna have a chance.”
Wilson isn’t operating the offense at a high level, and Arthur Smith’s scheme doesn’t seem to be a part of the solution right now either. Just look at the fact that the Steelers have zero opening-drive touchdowns all season in 17 games. Even Matt Canada managed to avoid that last year.
He’s playing like a streaky three-point shooter in the NBA. If he’s hot, then it will be difficult to beat the Steelers. If he’s cold, then the team is pretty much doomed.
Over the last five games, the Steelers’ offense has only put together seven drives of 10 plays or more. Three of those were assisted by penalties to help extend the drive. They are barely capable of organically sustaining a drive. Their opponents have had 12 such drives against them over that span, including multiple of 15 plays or more and one of over 20 plays. Good luck overcoming that trend on the road in the playoffs against high quality teams.
