Steelers vs Bengals Takeaways: Can't Blame Offense For Loss
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers roller coaster season continues following a disappointing 37-30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
It wasn't all the offense or the defense that kept this game out of reach for the Steelers. Both sides had opportunities to put the Bengals away, and both sides failed to do so.
It's a theme of the Steelers' season that nothing can stay consistent long enough to see results. And in this one, that was all too evident.
Noah Strackbein's Takeaways
Can't Blame the Offense for the Loss
As bad as the Steelers' offense was in the second half against the Bengals, the defense giving up 37 points is why they lost. The rule of thumb in the NFL is if you keep an opponent to 20, you should win. It becomes drastically more difficult with each score after that.
37 is almost impossible for any team, not just the Steelers.
Pittsburgh hoped this group would be better with Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt on the field together for the first time since Week 1. It wasn't, and it has you questioning how far back the group is then you expected coming into the year.
Steelers Wide Receivers Gave Up
Remember the days of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown when Big Ben would escape the pocket and you knew AB was running around down the field somewhere, trying to get open? That was the furthest thing from Acrisure Stadium late in the game for the Steelers.
Diontae Johnson and George Pickens left before the two-minute warning, and it was extremely evident. Whenever Pickett would roll out to either side, or miss a tackle and keep a play alive, he'd look down the field and see a bunch of players standing around.
Some players on Pittsburgh's offense have checked out. It's now a matter of whether or not they'll check back in.
Steelers Getting Close to "Kenny Isn't It"
Look, you should never judge a rookie quarterback too strictly, and I'll stick by that rule of thumb all season. That being said, you have to see them take strides, and Pickett isn't turning the ball over, but his ability to read a defense and find open receivers might be getting worse.
There were times against the Bengals when Pickett would throw it, aiming for a covered receiver, while another wideout was standing five feet away wide open. That happened way more than once.
Pickett's timing is off, and he rarely sees an opportunity early enough to take advantage of it. With guys like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens on the outside, you have to be able to identify that they could beat their man and have no help over the top.
Splash plays are there, Pickett just isn't seeing them.
Stephen Thompson's Takeaways
Offense Takes Step Forward
The youth movement is taking over. Pat Freiermuth recorded a season-high in targets and accounted for 79 yards receiving. George Pickens caught four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. Najee Harris is slowly looking more and more like himself. Kenny Pickett wasn't perfect, but did show a wide array of skills that helped guide his unit to the most points they've scored in a single game this season.
It's been a slog so far this year and it's unfortunate such a strong performance came in a loss, but it is reason for optimism about this group in the final games of this year and as they look towards offseason development and next season.
Pickett Needs Help
The Steelers offense is putting too much responsibility on their rookie quarterback. He's struggled with the immense workload, which included 30 passes and a pair of rushes while Harris and Jaylen Warren combined for 21 rushes.
To my last point, the offense is improving, particularly the run game. They can afford to put less on their rookie, who is struggling under the weight of carrying this team. Pickett's not good enough or experienced to do that and that isn't an indictment of his play - a player at that point in his career shouldn't be asked to do this much while a flawed offense surrounds him.
Defense Tires Late Again
The offense, for all the good it did in the first half, was almost non-existent in the second. They put their defense in poor positions and put them on the field frequently. No defensive player or coach will ever throw their teammates or colleagues under the bus, but it's apparent that they can only handle so much of this burden before collapsing late in close games.
There are lofty expectations for this defense, the highest-paid unit of any in the NFL, but they need the offense to be better late in games. Against the Bengals, the defense gave the offense chance after chance and short field after short field and in the second half, those opportunities were squandered. They don't need to score 20 points per half, but they need to be able to sustain drives. It'll only help this good defense play better.
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