Steelers Don't Have a Quarterback Problem
PITTSBURGH -- You know Mike Tomlin's saying, "don't live in our fears"? Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers have only done just that, and it's hitting a point where the offense is starting to leave hints that they no longer want to.
"It's really frustrating, especially when you see the talent there," running back Najee Harris said after the Steelers' 17-14 loss to the Patriots. "It's part of the process. ... The outcome wasn't what we wanted, but I thought we did some good things on third down, better than the last game."
Everyone seemed frustrated after the loss. The entire offense tried to turn the attention to the good - which was a better third down conversion rate - but they also all expressed how much talent this team has. And how they'd like to utilize that talent better.
"It was an emphasis for sure," wide receiver Chase Claypool said on spreading the field. "When we had the plays called, it's hard to go deep against cover three on the perimeter anyway. We just have to be able to call the right plays and move down the field in other ways. But overall, it was pretty good. Mitch [Trubisky] did a good job."
Even Trubisky dropped some hints that players are expressing their displeasure with the play-calling.
"Everyone has an idea of what the offense should or could be, but we have to come together as a collective unit and everyone's got to buy in," Trubisky said. "There's going to be good plays, there's going to be bad plays, but we're a young offense and we're still growing in this thing together. The best thing you can do at this time is to continue to buy into the plan, whatever it is, do your job to the best of your ability."
Here's the thing, while Steelers fans are making it known they want a new quarterback, with Kenny Pickett chants taking just two quarters to make their way into the home opener, it's not going to solve anything.
The Steelers' offense doesn't have a quarterback problem - at least not a major one. A lot of teams succeed without a star QB. What they have is an offensive coordinator problem.
Each week, the Steelers will take the field with Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth as receiving options. Yet, Canada designs plays where Harris receives a dump-off on 3rd and 8, and leaves Jonhson open down the field flaring his arms in disbelief.
He'll curate drives that last 16 plays and only go 48 yards, and he'll continue to talk about having a mobile quarterback but refuse to utilize their running ability.
"I think we just have to trust our quarterback and trust our guys to go down and make plays," Freiermuth said on the offensive struggles. "It's just pretty simple like that. Just trust each other."
Trubisky isn't perfect. At times, he's not even good. But for the second year in a row, the Steelers' offense is using a quarterback as a scapegoat for Canada's lack of success.
And for the second year in a row, it's working.
"We're still young. We're still meshing as a unit," Trubisky said after the game, continuing to take blame for the lack of success. "... We need to find out our identity. Everyone needs to lean in, come together, and really I just need to play better to give us a chance at the end."
Kenny Pickett might make this offense a little better, but no one is fixing a team that goes against everything they preach week-to-week.
Trubisky will take the heat, but Canada is to blame for the Steelers' offensive struggles.
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