Struggling to protect Aaron Rodgers and ignite a stagnant ground game, the Pittsburgh Steelers seek a tactical identity shift to overcome a fierce Cincinnati pass rush and spark a turnaround.
The Pittsburgh Steelers offense looked dismal in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 1.
Even with a 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, there were some glaring issues with the Steelers offense.
Through the first two weeks, the Steelers are converting just 20% of their first downs. Pittsburgh has 350 net passing yards and 149 rushing yards. The Steelers are averaging just 3.4 yards per rush.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is hopeful the offense will break out soon. During his news conference on Wednesday, he noted that Pittsburgh had challenges with the offensive line protecting Aaron Rodgers, who was sacked four times.
Those protection issues didn't allow Rodgers to go for the deep shot, which was another area the offense struggled with against the Falcons. He believes the Steelers can find the right combination of play-action passes and run plays to open up the field.
"Also, the ability to run the ball, and in particular, run-pass options," McCarthy said, via the Steelers. "Aaron does a really good job with that. … You don't ever want to be doing things one way.
"It's important to stretch all the quadrants of the field. You want to attack them underneath, attack them in the intermediate, get your downfield throws, and get your 'shot plays' off the call sheet."
The Steelers’ opponent in Week 3, the Cincinnati Bengals, will present a serious challenge for McCarthy. The Bengals held the Houston Texans to six points and limited running back David Montgomery to 10 yards rushing on six carries.
Through the first two weeks, the Bengals are limiting opposing rushers to 3.9 yards per carry and 74.5 yards per game. Those numbers are somewhat similar to what the Steelers have run for early in the season.
If the Steelers can't fix their run game against the Bengals, it could be a long Sunday.
The Bengals have given up a meaty 253.5 passing yards per game. However, the Bengals have been serious at getting after the quarterback, creating eight sacks for 52 yards, and that came against Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and C.J. Stroud, two mobile quarterbacks.
Rodgers no longer has the mobility that allowed him to be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league. Because of that, the Bengals should have an advantage in the passing game.
The Steelers must find an identity.
As McCarthy noted on Wednesday, the Steelers must first find out what they're good at on offense before they can find success. Pittsburgh entered the season wanting to be strong as a rushing team. So far, that hasn't been the case.
The offensive hasn't been good in pass protection or in the run game. The key for the Steelers being able to break out will be dependent on the offensive line making an improvement on at least one part of their attack.
