Steelers' Offense Accused Of Being "Simple" By Week 6 Opponent Maxx Crosby

The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently riding a two-game losing streak as they head into their Week 6 contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. This should be a very winnable game for Pittsburgh, but the offense has been concerning and has struggled to get things going early in games as of late. The Raiders' offense is also expected to struggle against Pittsburgh, as the team announced they will be starting Aidan O'Connell at quarterback and he will be without star receiver, Davante Adams.

Pittsburgh's offense has been a tale of two halves so far in the 2024 NFL season. Over the last two weeks, the offense has only been able to muster up six total points in the first half, but in the second half, the unit comes to life as they have scored five second half touchdowns in their last two games. Football is a 60 minute game, so it is important that the offense is able to make an impact at all times. 

Raiders defensive star, Maxx Crosby spoke to the media on Thursday, where he was asked about what stands out on film for the Pittsburgh offense.

"They like to, you know, keep it simple. They run the ball a ton."

Crosby isn't wrong, Pittsburgh's offense has seemed to be very simple and conservative over the last two weeks. They like to run the ball a lot, and the only issue with that is that it is not working. The lack of production that has come from the running game, coupled with the volume of run plays is concerning. Pittsburgh currently sits at 29th in the NFL in yards per carry with 3.7.

The lack of success in the running game isn't entirely on running back Najee Harris. The fourth-year back hasn't really had anywhere to go due to the struggles of the offensive line, paired with the injuries that have ailed the group. Fans would like to see the offense play through Justin Fields more, who is more than capable of running the ball. It also seems that the coaching staff doesn't fully trust Fields to air it out, which is something Crosby noticed as Pittsburgh doesn't like to pass the ball a lot.

"They're going to come out and you know, do what they do. Run the ball, be physical, pass it from time to time."

It doesn't sound like Crosby and the Raiders are too worried about the passing game from Pittsburgh. The play-calling hasn't seemed to open anything up in the ariel attack for Fields, and it seems like he is being limited in the current offense. After the frustrations displayed from George Pickens and the rest of the offense following the loss in Week 5, maybe Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith will consider getting the star receiver more involved earlier in the game.

Crosby went on to praise Pittsburgh for how physical they play under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, while also showing respect to his counterpart TJ Watt on reaching 100 career sacks last week.

Steelers Need To Get The Passing Game Going In Las Vegas

Tomlin likes to run a conservative offense with his team. Even though he isn't the play-caller, he is certainly in Smith's ear giving his input. This works in theory, as it eats up the clock. But again, the run game is struggling in Pittsburgh, so it may be time to try something new. The run game struggled against the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts, and each team had one of the worst run defenses in the league when Pittsburgh squared off with them.

This means it may be time to lean on Fields and the passing game. With Russell Wilson now fully healthy, this may be the last time for Fields to show that he deserves to be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh. Another reason to lean on the passing game is to get Pickens more involved, which is something all fans are in agreement on.

What do you think about the comments from Crosby? Let us know below!

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