Getting better is never a bad thing. Whether you’re learning to play guitar or recovering from the flu, getting better is a real positive. The Pittsburgh Steelers are improving week-to-week and while the statistics might not bear that out as vividly as some fans may want, the team is getting its feet under it and at just the right time.
Offensively
Some will point to the offensive output in week one and suggest that this unit was already firing on all cylinders. The reality is that they ran for 50 yards on 20 carries and relied on several Jets’ miscues and Aaron Rodgers’ arm to win 34-32. Since week one, the Steelers’ rushing totals went up to 72 yards on 21 carries in the loss to Seattle… Dipped to 64 yards on 26 carries in the win in New England…Jumped to 131 yards on 29 carries in Dublin and then reached 100 yards on 28 carries (3 were Mason Rudolph kneel-downs) against the NFL’s best run defense.
No one is going to confuse this offense with the 70’s teams built on the running game, but there is improvement and that’s better than the alternative. In terms of pass protection it’s also a work in progress. Both Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu have displayed some warts but they’ve also held their own at times too.
Dismissing the fact that Rodgers gets the ball out quickly would not be fair to the process here but considering the work done this past week, the O-Line seems to be coming together. I remain skeptical of Pat Meyer as the long-term option for Offensive Line Coach but he also deserves some props too for bringing the unit along in recent weeks.
It would be unfair to Arthur Smith to leave him out of these pages. His play-calling the last couple of weeks has been markedly better than what we’ve seen previously. His willingness to get Darnell Washington involved along with creative run game designs has the arrow up right now on this unit. And that’s good because there are bigger tests in the future.
Defensively
Sunday was really the first time this starting secondary was able to play together for any extended period of time this season. Largely, the results were very good. Mixed with a relentless pass rush and a rookie quarterback who would not throw the ball downfield, they acquitted themselves well for the most part.
Jerry Jeudy and Harold Fannin, Jr catching passes over the middle on a consistent basis however was troubling. Some of that was having a lead and protecting against a big play but Jeudy did a lot of his damage early and could have had a bigger day if not for a few poorly thrown balls. I suspect that Teryl Austin and Mike Tomlin will spend a good deal of time on that tape especially with the Bengals on tap Thursday.
The run defense has also improved over the first month of the season. Some of that is due to health but some of it is also related to guys controlling their gaps and linebackers being able to make plays. While you’ll get no argument from me that Nick Herbig is the best pass rusher on the defense at the moment, the return of Alex Highsmith Sunday was critical in shutting down the Browns’ running game. Consistently being able to turn the runner back inside is vital to stopping the run and Highsmith was excellent Sunday.
At 4-1, the Steelers find themselves looking down at a division riddled with injuries and inconsistent play. As DeShon Elliott said Sunday, “We’ve seen this shit before” in reference to having a division lead that vanished in just a few weeks. The good news right now is that the Steelers are getting better each week and that’s way better than the alternative.
