The Pittsburgh Steelers are fresh off their bye week and will begin practicing again as they get ready for their Week 10 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints come into Pittsburgh on a short week after they battle one of the Steelers' AFC North rivals, the Baltimore Ravens.
Pittsburgh Steelers' QB Kenny Pickett will need to lead this team coming out of their bye week. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Coming out of their bye week and currently sitting at 2-6 on the season, the Steelers are not in a great spot on the surface to make a run at the 2022 NFL Playoffs. Aside from the poor record, Steeler Nation also saw the team be sellers at the trade deadline, where they decided to move on from 3rd-year wide receiver Chase Claypool, by trading him to the Chicago Bears for a 2nd round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Even with all of that said, making the playoffs this season isn't completely out of the realm of possibilities, at least not yet. While they were sellers at the trade deadline in terms of Claypool, they also were buyers as they traded for William Jackson III from the Washington Commanders, adding a talented player to their secondary. Pairing that with the imminent returns of reigning Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt, and safety Damontae Kazee, could just give them a spark that has been desperately needed since Week 1.
No matter who is available, the Steelers are definitely going to go about business as usual and compete to the best of their ability. In saying that, here are a few things the team must do in order to make a run at a playoff berth:
Steelers Need To Improve Their Pass Rush
I am starting off here with what is by far the easiest on this list for them to accomplish, as the return of Watt will bring their pass rush from near the bottom of the pack up to an elite unit yet again. The Steelers currently have a total of 15 sacks on the season, which has them on pace to finish with their least amount of sacks in over 5 seasons. This is all due to the loss of Watt, as the Steelers' defense recorded 7 sacks in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but only have recorded 8 in the 7 games since.
Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt get ready for a tough matchup against the Bengals. | Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
The lack of pass rush has had a lot to do with their issues on stopping teams on possession downs, as they currently have the 26th and 28th ranked 3rd and 4th down defense. The defense is currently allowing teams to convert over 43% of their 3rd downs and 66% of their 4th downs. Getting a more consistent pass rush is the easiest way to fixing both of those metrics.
Running The Ball Is Key To Offensive Success
Yes, I know it is 2022 and you must have a solid QB and passing attack to have success in the NFL now. However, having your rookie QB average over 44 passing attempts a game is not going to be a recipe for success on offense. Getting the ground game going will not only help take the pressure of Kenny Pickett, it will also allow the defense to get off the field, as the Steelers are currently 21st in time of possession on offense this year.
It has been well documented by several media outlets that 2nd-year running back Najee Harris has struggled this season, and that includes some even suggesting rookie Jaylen Warren should be the starter for the time being. All of the blame being placed on Harris isn't a fair assessment of the Steelers' run game, as the offensive line has had several struggles as well opening up holes on a consistent basis. Regardless where the blame lies, getting a consistent run game is a must for the rest of this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers skill players Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens. | USA Today Sports
Create Splash Plays On All 3 Units
Whether it is the offense, defense, or special teams unit, this team as a whole has lacked explosive or splash plays since the opening week of the season when the defense forced 5 turnovers. Since that time, a defense that tallied 22 turnovers last season has only recorded a grand total of 5 turnovers over the last 7 weeks. Lack of turnovers and splash plays by the defense has done a struggling offense no favors, as they consistently have a long field ahead of the them to secure some points.
The offense also needs some more splash plays, as they are currently dead last in plays over 40 yards with only one such play on the season. Even going to moderately explosive plays, they are bottom 3 in the league in plays of 20+ yards, and don't yet have a rushing attempt of 20 yards or more yet this season. Lack of explosive plays has caused the Steelers' offense to have to string together long drives on a consistent basis, which has been incredibly difficult for an offense that has consistently made concentration and mental mistakes this season.
Special teams hasn't been awful, as Chris Boswell has been the lone consistent scorer for this Steelers' team and Steven Sims has done a decent job getting chunk plays as a returner since he took over the job. However, Pressley Harvin III continues to struggle with consistency issues and far too often has a punt that puts the opponent in solid field position.
Overall there is plenty the Steelers need to do to fix this season. Whether it be coaching improvements/adjustments, getting people healthy, etc. they will all be needed.
What do you think the Steelers need to do to get back on track and give them a chance at a playoff berth? Let us know in the comments below!
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