Steelers' Win Streak Is "Not Going To Last" If They Can't Score

The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to eke out two wins in a row to start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2020. However, simply defeating the Atlanta Falcons and Denver Broncos isn't enough to reassure fans and the media. The wins weren't necessarily pretty, and against the Broncos, the offense seemed to fall apart as the defense made adjustments to counter Justin Fields' attacks. 

It is still unclear whether Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback once he is healthy or if Fields will remain under center. However, Fields seems to have done what he's been asked to do so far. He has protected the ball well, connected with wide receiver George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth, and managed a solid run game with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. We even saw players who seemed to have been forgotten in the past, like Darnell Washington, get involved by new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith. 

This begs the question, "Are the Steelers a good football team?" That's what Adam Crowley, co-host of the 93.7 The Fan's Morning Show, asked insider Mark Kaboly from The Pat McAfee Show. According to Crowley, the only way teams can be considered good in this era of football is if their offense puts up a significant number of points. Kaboly said, that's true, but he also agrees with Head Coach Mike Tomlin that 2-0 is better than 0-2.

"They're good enough to win right now, but I don't think they're good enough to sustain this," said Kaboly. "Overall, I don't think they're a good team. They're a good defense, and their special teams are obviously winning them games with the kicker, but you have to be more consistent on the offense, especially moving forward when you start playing some better teams. So, to answer your question, are they a good team? No. They're just finding ways to win right now, but that's not going to last. They're going to have to put up some points. There's gonna be a time in the very near future where 10 points, 13 points, 18 points is not gonna win you a game. I don't know how confident anyone is of this team right now putting up 25, 28 points."

Pittsburgh seemed to get off to a strong start and were up 10-0 at the half against Denver. However, upon the return for the third quarter, it felt like it all unraveled. Instead of seeing those longer, sustained drives that were evident in the first quarter, they punted on several of their next drives. They did manage to take advantage of a massive defensive pass interference penalty and score once in the second half. The stat sheet for the first half doesn't tell the tale of how successful the team could have been without the many penalties. 

Fields was not originally intended to be the starting quarterback for the 2024 season, but he has been thrust into this position. After the game, Fields expressed that he felt there was still work to be done on the offensive side of the ball. He acknowledged the "self-inflicted wounds," such as the penalties, and said he felt they would be solid if they got in sync. 

Steelers' Arthur Smith Being Handcuffed?

The Week 1 performance led many in the media to speculate that Smith is being "handcuffed" by Tomlin or tightly controlled with what he can call. That would explain some of why Fields and the offense failed to adapt. Others think Tomin is just trying to be conservative with Fields. The thought is that since Fields has an extensive history of turnovers, limiting his pass attempts downfield could help him protect the ball better. 

However, Harris strongly disagreed with that sentiment after the game. He said this was the "same old s**t" and was adamant that they weren't just playing a conservative game. While he acknowledged he was not upset with Fields or with the team as a whole, he was frustrated with how the mountain of penalties nearly cost them the game. 

Do you think the Steelers are a good team? Click to comment below. 

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