The Pittsburgh Steelers begin to wrap a bow on their 2021 season with some members of the team coming off poor performances.
The Steelers had a very up and down year in 2021 that saw different issues arise on this roster. Many expected this to be a bumpy road for this club heading into the year. Many things were working against them even before a snap was taken.
New coaches were leading the offense and their respective units. They were given some new rookies to work with and hopefully help mold. That did not turn out extremely well and the team had question marks at certain areas of the lineup.
Other issues were different injuries that occurred early on in the season. The defensive line experienced issues all year, including missing Tyson Alualu and Stephon Tuitt for nearly all of 2021. Those were two huge blows and that caused gashes by opposing offenses.
A young and inexperienced team led by an aging quarterback never sounded intimidating to teams that played Pittsburgh. They would have their issues but they kept a steady course and did not have a losing season like many experts predicted before games were played. That was a triumph of its own but the fan base that cheers on the black and gold demand perfection with playoff success and this team hasn’t accomplished that for years.
No matter the amount of injuries or sickness that hampered this squad, they had some major contributors disappoint. For one reason or another these people could not help this club like many thought or expected throughout the year. It will be back to the drawing board for these individuals if they are still employed here in 2022.
Kendrick Green, Center
Kendrick Green had high hopes of heading into camp as the starting center as a rookie. He took over for the longtime starter Maurkice Pouncey after his retirement. The pick was a bit of a head-scratcher at the time because Green had not played too much center at that point in his career.
There were other natural center options still available during that time in the draft but the team decided to go with Green. He is undersized but his grittiness is what attracted the Steelers when they selected him. There was a ton of pressure on this player going into the year and many thought he could live up to the bill.
He has not had a good start to his career at all in the club’s colors. He has been overpowered constantly, snapping the ball poorly, and has not been able to put good things on tape. It has been a struggle for this rookie as his first year as a full-time center has been evident.
Many should hope for Pittsburgh to look for another center this upcoming offseason. It is not entirely Green’s fault as he has not played the position much before this year. He could always get better but moving him back to guard would seem to be the best option both for his success and the teams.
James Pierre, Cornerback
James Pierre came into 2021 with high hopes after Mike Hilton departed the team via free agency. Many thought his path to the NFL was very similar to Hilton’s after coming out of college as an undrafted free agent. The issue with the comparison is Hilton was a good player while Pierre had very limited experience as a starter.
The parallels for the two players starting resumes were there but not the same abilities. Hilton and Pierre are their own individuals and many shouldn’t have thought they would get Hilton 2.0 with this young corner.
Many thought that Pierre would become a starter for the Steelers at either the slot corner or the opposite outside spot of Joe Haden. Unfortunately, Pierre has not been able to get it together. He is solid on special teams but that has not translated to his position.
The team went out and acquired Ahkello Witherspoon via trade because of the issues and concerns that they had with depth and potential starters this season. When the team does that, they’re showing their hand of their discomfort with who is currently on the team.
The good news for Pierre is that he still has youth on his side so he could always get it together at the cornerback position. Until that happens, he will have to continue to show his ability on special teams. He is an interesting player but time will start winding down on his career if he can’t produce at his natural position.
Matt Canada, Offensive coordinator
Matt Canada entered the season with a bunch of question marks across his offensive group. They had a newly reconstructed line with a lack of starting snaps at certain positions. It also saw younger guys leading the way as the stars of what could have been a possible promising group.
Ben Roethlisberger was back but he is not what he once was but his veteran status was positive. Canada was described as a young and upcoming offensive guru that had unique ideas that should help the Steelers offense get back on track. That did not happen and this coach seems to be in a position that is above his pay grade.
He did not have the best cast of characters to work with but his play-calling, especially in certain situations has been less than subpar. Roethlisberger would go entirely off script to try and give this offense life throughout 2021 and that is because his coordinator was not making good calls.
When a player is taking over the play calls during the game then there isn’t a need for this coach. His job should be in jeopardy this offseason and for good reason. It was his first crack at it this year and Mike Tomlin might be ok with giving him another season to see if there is any improvement.
Chase Claypool, Wide receiver
Chase Claypool was entering 2021 coming off an amazing rookie season. After Juju Smith-Schuster got injured early this year, many expected Claypool to pick up the slack and become a dynamic one-two punch with Diontae Johnson. He hasn’t had a terrible season but many thought he would produce more.
The major cause for concern this year was his lack of maturity that he didn’t show. The biggest issue arose during the Minnesota Vikings game where he committed a bad penalty by showing off and taking away a play. He then later caused extra time to run off the waning seconds at the end that helped cost the Steelers that game.
This player produced nearly the same yardage than he did during his rookie season but his touchdown numbers plummeted. That was another major disappointment in 2021 for Claypool. He will have to be a big contributor to this offense in the coming 2022 campaign or the black and gold will desperately need another receiver.
Perhaps it was the sophomore slump or maybe it was the poor offensive strategy, but Claypool had issues this season. He will need to come back with a vengeance and try to help this unit score more points. He is a great player with a bright future as long as he can be more team-focused and continue his growth on the field.
Depth at defensive line
The defensive line for Pittsburgh was hurt early and often during 2021. Stephon Tuitt was gone the entire season and that was a bigger loss that many didn’t expect to happen. That loss was even more glaring when Tyson Alualu had his year cut short with a season-ending injury. Those two losses were huge and caused major depth concerns for this team.
Cam Heyward and Chris Wormley turned out to be a solid duo. Heyward is one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL so there was no surprise there but Wormley was the biggest shock. He was the fourth best player for his positional depth on this team but he showed why he belongs.
It was a coming-out season for Wormley but the others behind him on the depth chart had major question marks. Isaiah Buggs shows flashes but he was not available during the year for major stints. Carlos Davis has not shown much during his young career so that was another disappointment.
Another bright spot was the addition of Montravius Adams. He was brought over from the Saints practice squad and his ability against the run was a welcomed addition to the depth of the line. This positional group wasn’t entirely at fault for their issues defending the run since they had injuries pile up quickly, but excuses can’t be found with those situations when your motto is, “the standard is the standard”.
Devin Bush, Inside linebacker
Devin Bush might be the biggest disappointment for the Steelers this season. His knee injury from last year might still be hindering him but if that case is true then the club shouldn’t have allowed him back so early. He has not been good at all and his top 10 pick status is not showing up on the field.
His speed has been affected by the injury, which is a true shame because he was having a solid season before the injury occurred. He will need to come back faster and stronger than ever to earn a second contract with this team or another depending on his fifth-year option status.
The Steelers will have a decision if they want him to play for another contract next campaign or give him an extra season in Pittsburgh with activating his fifth year. It will be hard to imagine them picking up the option at the current status of Bush’s play.
He is still young and can come back and that positive will give the team enough hope to have him return as the number one inside linebacker. This group has been weak for this team in 2021 and that is mostly because Bush hasn’t produced like many thought that he would.
The Steelers has some disappointing contributors to their efforts in 2021. It was an up and down year and these individuals will need to prove themselves to this club going forward.