Steelers' Embarrassing Offense Hanging Their Defense Out To Dry Says Frustrated Chris Long

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at a crossroads early in their 2023 campaign. The offense is awful, the defense is always exhausted, and the coaching staff seems to be well over their heads when it comes to putting together a competent game plan. Through four weeks of 2023, the Steelers lack creativity, yet are unwilling to make the necessary changes. This isn't just frustrating; it's wasting talent, and one of those wasted pieces may just end up being second-year quarterback, Kenny Pickett.

Steelers Offense Not Helping Their Defense In 2023

It seems like a lifetime ago since the Steelers had the promise of the 2023 preseason leading the hype train. Their record (2-2) seems like a gift right now, considering how inept the team has looked most of the time. Former defensive lineman Chris Long was on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday to discuss just why Pittsburgh's season already seems like it's off the rails.

Long, speaking as a defensive player, was frustrated at the way the offense has consistently put the burden of the game directly onto the shoulders of the defense in 2023. The Steelers have been one of the worst teams in the NFL at sustaining drives, which means the defense stays on the field far too long. The way the team is built, according to Long, they need to play a complementary style of football, something that is certainly not happening so far.

"I think this team has to play really good complementary football, and they're not doing that. And the offense is hanging the defense out to dry."

The Pittsburgh defense proved in their Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders that they were more than capable of not only taking over a game, but winning it for them as well. What Long is seeing, though, is an offense that has proven unable to give the defense time to rest or even catch their breath. With the 2023 season unlikely to get much easier for this squad, the hope is dwindling at a rapid pace.

How much is being sacrificed during this challenging stretch? Wasting the primes of TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick? Another concern would be that with a young quarterback at the center of all the difficulty, continued refusal to make some changes would hinder the growth that they drafted Pickett for.

Steelers' Pickett In Danger Of Regressing?

It would be one thing if the Steelers offense was just bad, but it has reached a point where the offensive errors are bleeding into every aspect of the game. A Pittsburgh defense with incredible talent and financial investment is being drained by the offense's inability to sustain drives. Long is looking more at who is under center, though, and the worry is that Pickett is already starting to regress in this offense of mediocrity.

Long makes it clear that he doesn't believe the current quarterback situation in Pittsburgh is anything special, but even a subpar quarterback can be a competent game manager with the right scheme in place. That is certainly not the case with the 2023 Steelers, as Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada can't seem to scheme anything close to a legitimate NFL strategy.

"It's tough. I mean, like, they're [the Steelers] not dynamic, right, you know? Not dynamic at quarterback, although I've liked Kenny Pickett, and he's kind of regressed."

After a 7-2 finish to the 2022 season, it seemed like Pickett was showing every bit of the growth that the Steelers said they saw in him prior to drafting the young quarterback. Now, with only four games of the 2023 season under the team's belt, that growth hasn't just eroded; it looks like he is starting to go backward.

It certainly doesn't help when he is leading an offensive whose paltry excuse for a strategy has them at the bottom of the league in regard to finishing drives. The Steelers simply can't have successful drives, which means no scoring, which leaves the defense on the field for extended periods, all leading to where we are right now.

There are problems aplenty in Pittsburgh as we struggle through the 2023 season, but what is going to be done about it? The standard is currently a low standard, and excuses won't fix anything. Will the franchise simply watch this debacle continue, or will something be done about it? Until those questions are answered, everything else is just more reason to lose faith.

Is Kenny Pickett regressing already in 2023? Comment below.

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