Grading the Steelers stagnant offense vs Browns in Week 3 loss

The Steelers offense was a failure as this trend of atrocious offensive play continues to rear its ugly head. 

Another week means another offensive conundrum that faces the Steelers. No matter how you slice it, this offense is pitiful right now and there is no rescue in sight for this team. They have talent, and the offensive line looks to be improving, but they are struggling at two of the most important spots.

The play calling by the offensive coordinator Matt Canada is laughably terrible. It will make you cackle while tears of pure sadness fall down your face. The quarterback spot only seems to be complementary to this disaster as Mitch Trubisky cannot seem to formulate much of anything at his current display.

Mitch Trubisky graded well, but failed to help his team win

The grade that Pro Football Focus gives out to each player’s performance is always taken with a grain of salt. They gave Trubisky a good grade in his losing performance against the Cleveland Browns. He did not play terribly for the Steelers, but the grade that he was given still seemed to be too much of an overstatement.

Grade: D

There seemed to be some improvement for this quarterback from week two to week three, but nothing earth-shattering. The upcoming matchup against the Jets is going to be a huge game for him, even though Mike Tomlin seems more than content with his current offense’s lineup. Trubisky has a lot left to improve to not have these current calls for Kenny Pickett to be silenced.

Running backs for the Steelers showed some positive things

Both running backs seemed to show some more positive things as a tandem against the Browns. Najee Harris is the star and showed some more positive signs that he could bounce back from a poor performance. Jaylen Warren continues to be a spark in the ground game for the Steelers.

Grade: C

Even though they both showed some good things on Thursday, it still was not spectacular. Many different expectations will be placed on them, for better or worse, to pick up the slack with this stale offensive attack. They need to be better and become a consistent duo that surpasses 100 yards a game to keep this club in contention.

Receivers are starting to show their frustrations with the offense

Grading the receiver group continues to be a challenge as the offensive game plan is in shambles. Their numbers are rarely called, and when they are, it is only a short passing play that barely allows them to display their skillset. It is frustrating to watch these playmakers struggling to keep their composure with this obvious farce being commanded.

Grade: B+

George Pickens finally got some more targets in this game, which led to an amazing catch earlier in the game. The rest of the receivers also had some good days, but the lack of shots downfield continues to limit this position. Frustrations will only intensify as these players know that they can get open, but half of their effort seems to not even matter to these coaches.

The tight end position carelessly goes unnoticed in the playbook

Pittsburgh continues to fail their weapons on offense, and this time tight end was even more so this past week. Pat Freiermuth finally got his first chance at catching a ball in the fourth quarter of this game. He is one of the better players at his position in the NFL and the offensive coordinator decided to only get him two receptions.

Grade: C

Again, grading this position is hard when the coaching staff and calls being made fail the talent of the group. Freiermuth should have more than two catches in a game, and Zach Gentry could get involved more. Both are willing blockers and can help push the trenches in the run game as well.

Pittsburgh’s offensive line is starting to stack positive performances

The Steelers offensive line is one that is always under the microscope. The newly forged group has gotten better over the last two games and should be praised for their play of late. Their performance is not perfect by any stretch, but they were able to protect Trubisky and block well for the run game to develop.

Grade: B

Things seem to be getting better upfront for Pittsburgh as the group continues to mold together as a unit. There is still a lot of work in front of them before they can be crowned best in the NFL, but they held their own against a talented Browns defense. It will be a huge benefit to the offense if this line can get better each week.

Steelers overall offensive grade: D+

Overall, there was improvement between week two and week three with this group. They started making some throws down the field, even though that was a small sample size. The first half showed that this group can go down the field and score points, but the second half led to nothing.

The talent on this side of the ball for the Steelers is there and they can do a lot better. There have been some positive signs at different positions, and hopefully, the Browns game can be a stepping stone. The play calling continues to be disastrous, but the players on the field will hopefully be able to overshadow their biggest fault.

The Steelers offense is a major issue that will not be going away anytime soon. There are a lot of faults to be passed around, especially towards the coaching staff for currently failing their players.