The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled offensively, again, in their home opener. Here is how fans reacted to the Steelers first loss.
Despite a new era of competition between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, one that no longer sees Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger going head-to-head, the matchup remains focused on the strengths of each team’s defense.
With a lackluster first half, fans quickly pointed out how touchdowns are hard to come by for the Steelers.
The Steelers' offense has scored two touchdowns in two games. #Steelers
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) September 18, 2022
At halftime, the Steelers were trailing the Patriots 10-3. While they weren’t entirely out of it, the Steelers offensive scheme was not creating opportunities to score touchdowns.
Some fans felt that the offensive struggles were at the hands of Mitch Trubisky and offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The belief that Trubisky wasn’t playing his best was valid, as one fan noted his lack of comfort on the field.
Trubisky just looks....uncomfortable. He's a beat late, missing guys, throwing wildly off balance.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) September 18, 2022
With few deep shots and attempted splash plays, one fan noted that the offense was playing too conservatively.
Hard to be confident that Steelers even have the ability to come back from this. Time to start opening up that offense.
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) September 18, 2022
As the Patriots eventually built up a more comfortable lead by the end of the third quarter, one fan mentioned just how big a task a comeback seemed for this offense.
A 17-6 deficit has never felt more insurmountable.
— Matt Koll (@MKoll15) September 18, 2022
After three-quarters of poor offensive play, Pittsburgh finally mustered up the strength to score a touchdown. The Steelers picked up the tempo and played in its 2-minute drill offense.
Trubisky connected with Pat Freiermuth in the endzone for a touchdown. Followed by an exciting catch by Diontae Johnson for the 2-point conversion. One fan thought the more the team avoids the offensive scheme the better.
Steelers score touchdown in no huddle. The less Matt Canada is involved the better they look. True last year with Ben. Same is true now.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) September 18, 2022
After a touchdown in the hurry-up offense, Pittsburgh quickly went back to its normal offensive scheme of 3 quick plays, and a punt. Which led to the usual offensive struggles, which resulted in the loss of the home opener.
Trubisky, like Roethlisberger last year, is failing to move the ball down the field in an efficient manner. Short pass plays, that do not create much production, seem to be a staple of the Matt Canada offense.
#Steelers QB Mitchell Trubisky is averaging 5.1 yards per attempt through 2 games. That would have been the lowest among all qualified passers last season.
— Shayne Kubas (@ShayneKubas) September 18, 2022
One interesting takeaway a fan had after the game was the lack of production from George Pickens. The lack of production stems from a small number of targets from his quarterback.
After two games, #Steelers camp sensation George Pickens has two catches for 26 yards. @937theFan
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) September 18, 2022
Steelers fans on Twitter have noticed some interesting trends with this unproductive offense. The Steelers can find success in a routine no-huddle offense that takes more shots downfield.
Throwing deeper passes, especially over the middle of the field, could spread out the offense and give opposing defenses a tougher time in coverage. Maybe targeting Pickens more would give this offense the gigantic spark it needs.