Steelers vs. Rams: The defense yet again propels Pittsburgh to victory

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 10: James Washington #13 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown with JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Heinz Field on November 10, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 10: James Washington #13 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates his touchdown with JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Heinz Field on November 10, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 06: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is visible upset after Mason Rudolph #2 (not pictured) was knocked out of the game in the third quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 06: JuJu Smith-Schuster #19 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is visible upset after Mason Rudolph #2 (not pictured) was knocked out of the game in the third quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

A second-year Wide Receiver led the way on offense for the Steelers

When the Steelers selected James Washington, WR from Oklahoma State, I was less than pleased.  His career stats, according to the official website of the Pittsburgh Steelers, are underwhelming, having tallied 36 receptions for 537 yards and 2 TDs.

None of those stats really mattered on Sunday against the Rams as Washington led the way on offense for the Steelers with 6 receptions on 7 targets for 90 yards and 1 TD. Although Washington coughed up the ball, he was the only WR ton find the end zone.

It was refreshing to see Washington have the type of game the Steelers were probably waiting for him to have when we made him a second-round pick.  Despite Washington’s performance, the Steelers offense is still a work in progress.

Through nine games of the 2019 season, the Steelers offense is stuck in neutral. Ranked 28th, the offense has really not improved its standing over the past several games.  What’s particularly alarming is the lack of scoring.  Although the final score was 12-17 in our favor, the offense managed to score only 10 of the 17 points. The offense is currently ranked 22nd in average points per game.

Look, I understand we are winning and are enjoying a winning streak; however, at some point, the offense is going to have to be able to score with a modicum of alacrity if we want to part of the playoff conversation.  Hopefully, at some point, the offense will start to fire on all cylinders, as it were, but, right now, they seem to be misfiring.

Let’s take a look at how we fared on the defensive side of the ball.