SCB Steelers Quick Hitters: The ‘Better But…” Edition

Good Victory Monday to you Steelers fans.

Rome was not built in a day and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense won’t be either. For one game however the unit looked more like a competent NFL offense and less like what we saw the first two weeks. Clearly the Las Vegas Raiders are not the Cleveland Browns nor the San Francisco 49ers when it comes to defense. Save for Maxx Crosby, there really isn’t a guy you worry too much about. That said, the early Sunday report that suggested Matt Canada had his job requirements “shuffled” a bit may or may not be true, but there’s no question that he (or whomever called the offense) had a much better day. You wouldn’t think so after that ridiculous 3rd and short run up the middle which went nowhere on the opening drive. But there were no jet sweeps and there was even play-action off of an end around fake that resulted in a screen pass and nice pickup for Jaylen Warren. They had a balanced offensive attack that saw them rush for 105 yards and throw for another 228 and two scores. Kenny Pickett had his first-ever passer rating of 100 or better. So yeah, this offense looked better last night but there’s still a really long way to go.

Enough Already

I do not tune into the NFL to see who players are dating. If I were interested in that I’d pull up TMZ. The League and its networks should be ashamed of themselves. They were falling over Taylor Swift being at the Chiefs’ game like 12-year olds at one of her concerts.

The Secondary

It’s hard to criticize a couple of guys who combined for three interceptions but Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson both had rough starts. Davante Adams isn’t a ‘run of the mill’ wide receiver by any means but there’s just no way he should be getting as open as he was last night. As I mentioned however, credit to both Wallace and Peterson for making big plays at crucial times.

The Running Backs

Najee Harris had his best game running 19 times for 65 yards but the average continues to be a concern. That’s just 3.4 yards per carry. Jaylen Warren had 29 yards on eight carries (3.6 ypc) but he also had 23 yards on three receptions. Based on what I’ve seen through three weeks I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Warren is more explosive right now and is less likely to get tackled for a loss. Too often I see Harris skipping tight running lanes in order to bounce it outside. That’s just not the type of back he is. I think they play well off each other but Canada needs to find the right chemistry.

We Need to Talk About Audibles

Kenny Pickett needs to be given more freedom. It’s really that simple. I’m not suggesting that he get the options that Ben Roethlisberger had, but when he comes to the line and clearly sees that the run called is not going to be effective, he should be allowed to change out of that. While I realize you have to have faith in a guy and the QB must know what he can change to based on the personnel, the Steelers have to allow him some more freedom in this regard.

Really Important Minutes

Larry Ogunjobi was solid last night and that is to be expected, but Demarvin Leal, Montravious Adams and rookie Keeanu Benton got plenty of action last night and each guy played pretty well. Save for one stretch in the second half, the D-Line did an excellent job stifling the Las Vegas running game. I was a little surprised to see Breiden Fehoko not get a helmet after being moved to the active roster last week.

The Receivers

George Pickens finished the night with four receptions for 75 yards on six targets. He was clearly the focal point of the Raiders but that target number should come up a bit. Allen Robinson II had some nice catches and blocked well and the Steelers were finally able to take advantage of Calvin Austin’s speed.

Linebacking…

I think Teryl Austin is still working on his rotation as far as his inside backers. Mark Robinson got a few snaps on defense – his first of the season – while Cole Holcomb seems to be the mainstay of the group. What a nice move to grab Markus Golden by Omar Khan. He had a sack for the second straight week and keep in  mind he doesn’t get a lot of snaps.

On to Next Week

Thank goodness for a traditional start time as the Steelers hit the road again. This time they are in Houston for a 1pm tilt.