Things change so quickly in the NFL. Just a month ago, the Steelers were sitting at 11-0 and we were wondering if they’d lose a game this season. Three losses later and now we’re wondering if they’ll win another game this season.
Based on how Pittsburgh’s first offensive possession went against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, I’m not so sure they will. The Steelers kicked off the game with three consecutive passes and all three hit the turf before the punt team was forced onto the field. The entire sequence took 16 seconds off the clock. It was really ugly…
The Steelers' opening drive does a good job of summing up what this offense has become over the last month. pic.twitter.com/es9VBBtpsu
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) December 27, 2020
The next drive was a bit more successful, but the final result was more of the same. After a few short passes helped Pittsburgh move the ball past midfield, the drive eventually fizzled out. The third drive was killed by a second-down sack and for a sixth-consecutive game, the first quarter ended with the offense failing to score a single point.
The Steelers have been unable to push the ball downfield all season, but they were able to get away with early on before defenses caught on and adjusted their coverages accordingly. As the Colts did on this opening drive, opponents are now crowding the line of scrimmage and taking away those quick throws. They’re just daring the Steelers to try to beat them over the top and Ben Roethlisberger just isn’t capable of doing so.
The lack of deep passes isn’t the only thing plaguing this offense. The run game is useless and the receivers are dropping passes at a high rate. So, to recap: The quarterback can’t throw deep, the run game isn’t reliable and the receivers can’t catch. That’s a recipe for an unwatchable offense.
Making matters worse, Roethlisberger doesn’t seem to be a big fan of using play-action, which is one way to manufacture big plays in the passing game. I suggested the Steelers should start using those play-action fakes in order to spark a turnaround, but this team might be beyond saving at this point.
Unless Roethlisberger can turn back the clock and start pushing the ball downfield like he did at the peak of his powers, it’s hard to envision Pittsburgh turning things around this late in the season. The Steelers are barely holding onto what once looked like an insurmountable lead in the AFC North and need a win to stave off the Browns in the division race.