Struggling with league-worst efficiency and a stagnant offense, Pittsburgh faces an identity crisis as Mike McCarthy admits the unit has yet to find its competitive edge.
The 1-1 Pittsburgh Steelers will head into their Week 3 contest against the 2-0 Cincinnati Bengals with more questions than answers, especially when it comes to the offensive side of the ball.
The Steelers underperformed in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. In Week 2, they were badly outplayed by the New England Patriots in a 20-3 loss.
Frankly, the Patriots didn't look that great in the contest. New England quarterback Drake Maye and his offense didn't look much better than they did in a 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.
However, the Steelers could get nothing going on offense. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was sacked four times. He threw for 187 yards and one interception. The running game only put up 91 yards.
On Wednesday, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters that the team is still trying to find out what they do well before playing the Bengals.
"It's just like anything, when you put together an offense — and situations like third down and red zones are primary situations — who are you?" McCarthy said, via the Steelers' website. "What can you hang your hat on? Just from an execution perspective, we haven't answered that yet."
Per Brooke Pryor of ESPN, the Steelers are only converting 20% of their third down attempts, the second-worst number in the league.
Pittsburgh only converted two of their 12 third down attempts against the Patriots in Week 2.
The Steelers cannot continue that trend and hope to make the playoffs.
McCarthy's comments are a troubling sign before the Steelers host the Bengals on Sunday.
Cincinnati's defense proved to the league that they're one of the most improved units after holding the Houston Texans to just 6 points in Week 2. Houston's offense went 5 of 17 on third down.
It's going to be hard for Pittsburgh to find an identity with the way the offensive line is playing. The Steelers offense is built to run the football, but their backs have not gotten any help to find lanes to rush.
The Steelers passing game should be average at best, but they cannot expect Rodgers to consistently carry this team. His age is showing early in the season, and Pittsburgh does not have enough receiving help to boost his play.
How much time do the Steelers have to figure it out?
The Steelers might be in trouble against the Bengals on Sunday, but they have some time to create an identity before they get into deep trouble. While a 1-2 start to the season would be less than ideal, Pittsburgh has some winnable games coming up.
In Week 4, the Steelers will travel to play the 1-1 Cleveland Browns on "Thursday Night Football" before playing the 0-2 Indianapolis Colts at home in Week 5, and the 0-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.
The schedule will get much tougher after the midway point, but the Steelers can stay in the playoff hunt if they fix their offensive problems quickly.
