While it is far too early in the season to draw final conclusions, these four Steelers really need to step up their overall game.
The Steelers are off to a middling start in 2021. Their defense, when healthy, has looked elite while their offense has floundered to begin the year. While the game as a whole is a team effort, there have been quite a few players that have started the year off with more of a whimper than a bang. That all said, here are the four Steelers that need to play better against the Bengals in week three.
Steelers Kevin Dotson
While most were hesitant about the Steelers’ offensive line heading into the 2021 season, Kevin Dotson was the one surefire thing. The former fourth-round rookie looked great in limited action in 2020, and his ascension to starter was far from a surprise. He was a mauler in year one, and everyone expected him to make a jump as a full-time starter.
Training camp proved to be a weird time for Dotson, as reports were consistently coming out that the team was upset with his progress. Despite that, he made his way back to the field and looked good in the preseason. The hope was still there that he would be the leader along the Steelers line.
While his play hasn’t been bad, it certainly hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations he had going into the season. PFF has him credited for a sack and a penalty while giving him an overall grade of 57.2. While he has been far from a weak link, Dotson needs to harness some of the play he had as a rookie. It’s been a slower start for him, and the Bengals would be a good time for him to get back on the right track.
Steelers Ben Roethlisberger
It seems, at least so far, that Steelers nation has divided itself into two primary camps. On one side, you have the people that are vehemently defending the veteran quarterback and believe he is still a great option. On the other side, you have those that think he is washed up and not worth playing anymore. Based on his play, it is easy to see why fans are upset with Roethlisberger so far in 2021.
In a word, Roethlisberger has been ineffective. While he has helped put together a few drives, he hasn’t been successfully moving the offense down the field. His deep pass looks better than late last year (likely an effect of his knees healing up over the offseason), but the accuracy isn’t always there. This offense has been relatively stagnant to this point, and one can easily point a finger at Roethlisberger as one of the issues.
Assuming he plays this week, Roethlisberger has to get back on track and look like an effective starting quarterback. No, he doesn’t need a 400-yard game and five scores, but a day where he gets the offense moving and can toss a few scores would be nice. This offense is inhibiting the team, and until they prove that they can move the ball consistently, they will likely be the cause of lost games.
Steelers Najee Harris
Expectations were sky-high for Najee Harris entering the season, but he has started the year at a snail’s pace. Through two games, he only has 83 rushing yards and 130 total yards, and one touchdown. That isn’t good enough for a running back that was drafted in the first round, and he needs to start playing like the elite player that he has the talent to be.
Yes, the offensive line has done him no favors, but that excuse only goes so far. If Harris needs a great line to run behind, why did the team invest in him before a line? At the end of the day, the Steelers believe that Harris could be a difference-maker no matter what type of a line he is running behind. It is time for him to prove that as true, as his slow start hasn’t helped the offense in the slightest.
Similar to Roethlisberger, Harris doesn’t have to go crazy this week to get his season on the right track. Instead, a solid 150 total yards and a touchdown would be enough to trend his stock in a positive way. At the bare minimum, he needs to have a few big runs for the offense. His line isn’t going to get much better in 2021, so it is up to Harris to save his rookie season from being a disappointment.
Steelers Minkah Fitzpatrick
While not heavily talked about so far, Minkah Fitzpatrick has had a rough start to the 2021 season. Elite play is expected of the former first-round pick, and he hasn’t lived up to that as of now. He is allowing a quarterback rating of 105.6 when being targeted and he played a role in the huge touchdown reception by Henry Ruggs last week against the Raiders.
Worse yet, PFF has him graded at a 29.2 so far through the first two weeks. While it hasn’t all been bad, he has disappointed considering just how elite everyone knows he can be. Perhaps he is trying to do too much, as the Steelers have been moving him around in the secondary as opposed to just keeping him at free safety, but whatever the reason, Fitzpatrick has to start playing better.
While all of the other players on this list can get by with an ok game to get their season back on track, Fitzpatrick needs to string together some elite games. He expects to become the highest-paid safety in the league next offseason, but he certainly isn’t playing like it right now. The Bengal’s passing offense was exposed last week, so Fitzpatrick needs to have a good game to remind everyone what kind of talent he actually is.
While the Steelers have had some bright spots through two weeks, there has also been some mediocre play as well. In particular, these four players need to start playing better for the team. They need to turn their seasons around this week against the Bengals.