The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense underwent a significant overhaul this offseason. While they retained some pieces, like their offensive line and offensive coordinator, they made changes at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Therefore, there were some concerns about how that unit would look to open the season. Through three games, the Steelers have been up and down offensively, but Mike Tomlin thinks they’re trending upward.
“I think we’re moving good and moving in the right direction,” Tomlin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference via the team’s YouTube channel. “Certainly, there are areas of get better in all areas. Run game, pass game, protection, division of labor, personality. But I like the general trajectory of all of those things that I mentioned.”
In Week 1, it looked like the Steelers’ offense wouldn’t be a worry. The Steelers came out on fire, putting up 34 points in a win. However, there were still cracks evident in their game, such as their poor performance running the ball and issues protecting Aaron Rodgers.
Those problems showed up in full force in Week 2. Rodgers wasn’t as dominant, and that exposed more of the Steelers’ weaknesses on offense. That resulted in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Week 3 was a more mixed bag, but Tomlin is correct that there were reasons for encouragement. For instance, the offense came out firing on all cylinders, marching down the field on the Steelers’ first drive to score a touchdown. Their run game showed signs of life, carrying them to the end zone.
They had similar success on their following drive, scoring another touchdown. Unfortunately, things turned quickly after that, and the Steelers did not score again until near the end of the fourth quarter. The middle of that game saw their offense go completely stagnant. They had plenty of opportunities to do something, too, with their defense forcing multiple turnovers. They fizzled out after starting off the day well.
However, the Steelers had a better day overall offensively than in Week. Their offensive line protected Rodgers well, not allowing a sack. While their run game wasn’t consistent, it wasn’t as bad as it had been.
Also, they stepped up when they were needed most, scoring the game-winning touchdown with around two minutes remaining in the game. There were still major issues, but Tomlin is correct that there are reasons to be optimistic about the offense’s future.
