Steelers' Mike Tomlin Is Not Looking To Place Blame On Anyone For Offensive Failure

The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has gotten off to a rather cold start to the 2023 season. The unit has averaged one touchdown per game and sits near the bottom of the league in passing yards, rushing yards, and dead last in first downs. Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada is taking most of the blame for the putrid start from the fan base, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin isn't interested in assigning fault on anyone. 

Tomlin spoke to the media at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Tuesday and said he's not pointing fingers. The veteran coach wants to keep his staff and players focused on the task at hand which is to improve. 

"We’re not interested in assigning blame or making excuses," he said. "We realize we’ve absorbed some negativity based on performance and we’re man enough to absorb that negativity and stay singularly focused on what’s required to change it. And that is work." 

The first team offense was praised in the preseason for looking like they'd taken a step forward, particularly second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. The regular season has given them a new dose of reality. The group has looked rather pedestrian except for a smattering of plays that have been enough to keep Pittsburgh over .500 so far. 

Despite all the doom and gloom that surrounds the unit, there have been some positive signs and some news on the injury front that should help. George Pickens stepped into the number-one receiver role with Diontae Johnson out and has rewarded Pittsburgh with some monster performances. He currently sits 17th in receiving yards with 393, but ranks sixth in yards per reception at 17.9. His pair of receptions near the end of the game against the Baltimore Ravens helped power Pittsburgh to the win. 

The team got good news on the injury front that starters like Johnson, Pat Freiermuth, and James Daniels are trending toward being able to return to the field. Anthony McFarland Jr. is also likely to be back soon. The third-string running back might not have too much of a role on offense, but in his limited time returning kickoffs in 2023, he's averaging 30.3 yards per return, which has helped set the team up with better starting field position. 

Steelers' Tomlin Looking For Improvement "In All Areas"

With how poorly the unit has looked for the most part in 2023, it wasn't surprising to hear Tomlin say that he's looking for the team to be focused on improving in all facets of the game. He said that he and the coaching staff are leaving no stone unturned in trying to find answers to solve the offensive issues. 

Matt Canada's job is reportedly safe and Pittsburgh has no intentions of changing play-callers, but Tomlin left the door open for other changes. He said that the staff went through the tape with a "fine-toothed comb" to identify what has gone right and wrong and are looking at ways to recover from the sluggish start. 

"We can get better in all areas and that is our intention. Whether it’s strategy or schematics, or divide the labor up or technique relative to our positions."

The division of labor has been a hot topic, especially when it comes to the running backs. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are yet to find the end zone as Pittsburgh doesn't have a score on the ground yet in 2023. Some insiders have been calling for more Warren since September, but Pittsburgh has been using both backs consistently. This is one of the spots where the division of labor will be a focus, especially if one of the two backs struggles. McFarland could also factor in as a change of pace now that he is healthy. 

As they should, Pittsburgh is focused on getting better offensively. While it can't be much worse, Pittsburgh needs to show as they did in 2022 that they used the bye week effectively and can emerge from this awful start.    

What do you think Pittsburgh needs to do to improve offensively? If you were assigning blame for the poor performance to this point, how would you divide it? Comment below!

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