What’s Wrong With The Pittsburgh Steelers?

Photo credit to Brook Ward via Flickr

NFL

What’s Wrong With The Pittsburgh Steelers?

The 2018 NFL season hasn’t been very friendly to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Two weeks into the season, the Steelers are still winless and without some key players.

The Steelers dropped nine spots in the NFL Power Rankings since the season began. This is a Pittsburgh team going through turmoil. Not to mention, star wideout Antonio Brown may want out.

The Velvet Curtain

It’s safe to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise has a rich history of great defense. From the likes of Mean Joe Greene to all-time safety Troy Polamalu, this team is no stranger to great defense. Unfortunately, for this year’s squad, the “Steel Curtain” is looking more like the velvet curtain approaching Week 3 of the NFL season—and with a stop in Tampa Bay next up on the schedule, things don’t look to be getting better anytime soon.

The Steelers defense is 27th in the NFL in PPG and 24th in YPG, certainly not good enough for an AFC contender. The Steelers haven’t been winless after the first 2 games of a season since 2013, a season in which they missed the playoffs.

Offensive Woes

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most talented offenses in the NFL when everyone is clicking. Unfortunately, this offense hasn’t done so thus far. In Week 1, the Steelers turned the ball over six times. It goes without saying that if you turn the ball over six times in the NFL, you’ll lose the football game. Luckily, the Cleveland Browns allowed the Steelers to escape with a tie. At home against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Steelers rushed for a mere 33 yards, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.

So let’s set the record straight; does this Steelers offense miss Leveon Bell? While Bell is a top 5 NFL running back when he’s on the field, production at the position hasn’t dipped for the Steelers. Former Navy tailback James Connor has had an incredible start to the season. He has showcased himself as not only a great runner but also a capable pass catcher out of the backfield.

What’s Next?

While the Pittsburgh Steelers are constantly approaching panic mode by the day. Fortunately, we still have a very long season. So how can the Steelers salvage their season? It starts with the secondary locking down Tampa Bay’s many talented weapons.

Offensively, the Steelers can’t miss a step; and Antonio Brown must be there. The Steelers have six days until they lineup against the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football —and it’s a must win for them.

Photo credit to Brook Ward via Flickr