By: CJ Lester, @CJLester58
SteelerNation.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 11-2 last week as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Steelers 25-16. The Steelers are now the 2 seed in the AFC Playoff picture behind the Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers’ offensive struggles continued against the Bills. The Steelers’ offense gained only 224 total yards on the night, 177 yards passing and 47 yards rushing. We all know the goal is to get to the Super Bowl to have a chance to grab the city’s 7th Lombardi trophy. Frankly, the Steelers are not going to be able to compete with teams if they can’t score points. With so many key players missing, the Steelers’ defense got the job done. The Bills have a top 10 ranked offense and the Steelers’ defense held them to 20 total points even with so many missing defensive playmakers. The offense just has to figure things out and get back on track and just as Roethlisberger mentioned earlier in the week, “We have time.” It is Week 15 and with 3 games remaining before the start of the playoffs, they have to get this offensive train rolling again if they expect to compete with top AFC teams in the playoffs. The Steelers travel to take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football this week. Can the Steelers offense put some things together against a struggling Bengals’ team? I sure hope so! Before we take a deeper dive into this week’s matchup, let’s review last week’s matchup against the Bills.
Last week in review
The three things I noted that we should keep an eye on last week were:
- Can the Steelers decrease the drops?
Holding true to his word, HC Mike Tomlin benched WR Diontae Johnson after a couple more 1st quarter drops. Johnson isn’t the only culprit on this awful stretch of not catching he football, but his struggles continued on the 1st two drive against the Bills, so he was the one to be made an example of because of the continued struggles. Johnson bounced back appropriately in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to sustain drives to score points on offense. Johnson finished the second half without a drop and totaled 4 receptions for 40 yards on the night. After the struggles, it was promising to see the young receiver bounce back without a drop after being benched for most of the 1st half.
- Run the Ball More Effectively
This was almost laughable. The Steelers continued to struggle running the football last week against the Bills. The offensive line just can’t seem to get a push and they’re just not playing physical football. The Steelers ran the ball 17 times for 47 yards for a 2.8 yards per carry average on the night. I thought that maybe with RB James Conner back in the mix of things last week that the offense would have more success running the football. Conner was the team’s leading rusher, however that was just with 18 yards on 10 carries. It felt like every run was stopped behind or at the line of scrimmage.
- Next Men Up
The Steelers had several key players out on defense due to injuries and COVID-related reasons. Inside linebackers, Avery Williamson and Marcus Allen, both got their first start with team at inside linebacker last week. The duo finished 1 and 2 in tackles for the Steelers’ defense. Williamson finished with 11 total tackles (9 solos) and 1 QB Hit, while Allen finished with 8 tackles (5 solos) and 1 tackle for a loss. In the first half, you couldn’t really tell the Steelers’ defense was missing anyone. The defense held Bills’ QB Josh Allen to just 76 yards passing and the Bills’ rushing attack to 34 yards in the first half. The Bills went in at halftime and made the needed adjustments and you started to see that the Steelers’ defense had holes in it. Allen finished 24 of 43 for 238 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. The secondary just couldn’t contain Bills’ WR Stefon Diggs. Diggs finished the game with 10 receptions for 130 yards and 1 TD on 14 targets.
Let’s take a look at 3 things we should watch for in Week 15 against the Bengals:
- Bounce Back Game for Diontae Johnson
After being benched in the first half and responding with a mistake free performance in the second half last week, I expect to see the Steelers to give Johnson another chance. It is no secret that the Steelers love what they have in Johnson. He leads the team in targets this season with 113. Johnson didn’t have a drop after being benched and I expect that to continue this week against the Bengals. It may be a bold prediction, especially for a receiver that has struggled with drops here and there all season, but I think the benching last week made an impression on the young receiver. Look for a bounce back performance for the Steelers’ 3rd year receiver out of Toledo.
- Force Turnovers
One thing that can help the offense get back on track is extra possessions. The Steelers’ defense has had success all season with forcing turnovers. The team is tied for 1st in the NFL in takeaways with 25 on the season. The Bengals are expected to start QB Ryan Finley against the Steelers tomorrow night. The formula doesn’t change much with Finley in instead of QB Brandon Allen, who is out due to a knee injury. The Steelers’ will still want to put constant pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Steelers’ defense is notorious for making life complicated for young NFL quarterbacks. Monday Night won’t be any different!
- Increase in Scoring Points for the Offense
The Steelers are 11-2, so it is weird to be writing this next statement. However, the team is backed into a corner and must get it together in order to contend for a Super Bowl. Facing a struggling Bengals’ team would be a perfect chance for the offense to put it all together and score a load of points on Monday Night. It is time for the Steelers to blow out a team that they’re supposed to blow out. The Steelers sit at 12.5-point favorites currently and I expect the team to cover that spread. A blow out win tomorrow night, doesn’t prove anything to the naysayers, but it will help this team get back to its’ winning ways. The Steelers haven’t scored 20+ points since Week 11, look for that to change this week as the team looks to get its’ offense back on track.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? What should we watch for in Week 15 against the Bengals? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
