Sky’s the limit now for the Steelers offense
We’re used to Mike Tomlin-led teams always saving their best for last. But what if I told you that could truly be the case again for a 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers offense which, for all intents and purposes, has underachieved this season.
The offense goes as it’s leader goes. Ben Roethlisberger has had an up-and-down season, to say the least. He has already thrown as many interceptions (9) as he has in his best passing season back in 2014. His completion percentage is it’s lowest since taking the Steelers to the Super Bowl in 2010.
Yet, that’s part of the room for optimism. If Ben isn’t playing his best, that means the Steelers offense could play even better going forward. The team started the season with a “rusty” Le’Veon Bell who has already found his way following three rough games to start 2017. Bell is currently third in the league in rushing with 760 yards, behind Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott (783) and Kansas City’s Kareem Hunt (800).
Hunt has played nine games to Bell’s eight.
Antonio Brown also leads the NFL in receptions (57) and yards (835). The criticism, often, is that Roethlisberger relies too heavily on his star receiver.
So what happens when he doesn’t?
Rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster has a career day of seven receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown.
On paper, you would also assume that at some point Martavis Bryant returns to his previous pedestal of being one of the league’s best receiving threats and that TE Vance McDonald builds a rapport his future Hall of Fame quarterback.
But even taking that all away, the Steelers have one of the best receivers and running backs currently in the game while missing components of their offensive line, and having disappointing output from Big Ben, Bryant, and others.
And all of that has happened against some of the league’s better defensive units, at a time when the Steelers prepare for their second half of the 2017 season; one filled with lower caliber opponents on the other side of the football.
| Rk | Team | G | Pts/G | Yds/G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | 8 | 25.2 | 313.5 |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings | 8 | 16.9 | 282.1 |
| 8 | Chicago Bears | 8 | 21.4 | 312 |
| 7 | Baltimore Ravens | 9 | 19 | 310.6 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 8 | 14.6 | 281.2 |
| 29 | Kansas City Chiefs | 9 | 23.1 | 390.3 |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 19.8 | 309.1 |
| 22 | Detroit Lions | 7 | 24.1 | 346.1 |
| 31 | Indianapolis Colts | 9 | 28.9 | 393.6 |
| 17 | Tennessee Titans | 8 | 24.1 | 330.9 |
| 23 | Green Bay Packers | 7 | 23 | 348.9 |
| 6 | Cincinnati Bengals | 8 | 19.8 | 309.1 |
| 7 | Baltimore Ravens | 9 | 19 | 310.6 |
| 32 | New England Patriots | 8 | 22.4 | 417 |
| 20 | Houston Texans | 8 | 26 | 339.1 |
| 9 | Cleveland Browns | 8 | 25.2 | 313.5 |
To start the 2017 season, the Steelers have faced six top ten defensive units in their first nine games. They will face three of those units again, all in AFC North rematches against the Browns, Bengals, and Ravens.
Outside of their own division rivals, only the Kansas City Chiefs (29th) and Detroit Lions (22nd) have were ranked out of the top ten in total yards relinquished. Looking ahead, the Steelers have dates with some of the weakest defenses in the league, including both (currently) bottom-ranked units: the Colts and Patriots. Other games include the 17th-ranked Titans, 23rd-ranked Packers, and 20th-ranked Texans.
Upon realization that the team has had woes in the red zone, finishing drives, and turning the ball over over portions of the first eight games, a well-placed bye week puts them in a position to kick their offense into overdrive. Five of Pittsburgh’s final eight games are played at home. With a 6-2 advantage and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs, the Steelers can control their own destiny for a bye, and potentially the top seed in the AFC heading into the postseason.
That’s why I feel the Steelers offense is on the cusp of blowing things wide-open. Five “weak” defenses and five home games should be just what the doctor ordered. The offense averaged 331.8 yards-per-game over their first five games. Over the next three, they improved to 417 YPG, against two of the league’s weaker defensive units.
They averaged 19.8 points-per-game over those first five games as well, with the needle moving in the positive direction to 22.6 over their last three.
Barring any major setbacks, a healthy Steelers squad should be ready to feast on opposiing defenses over the next two months… and hopefully, beyond.
