Major overreactions Steelers fans shouldn’t believe so far

There have been a lot of hot takes about the Steelers, but these four overreactions stand out as the most egregious.

It hasn’t been a great start for the Steelers, as they have limped to a 1-3 record and have looked poor in most facets of their game. While there is plenty of reasons to be upset and concerned about the state of this team, there have been just as many hot takes about the squad. Some are warranted, but there are quite a few that seem extreme.

It is hard to keep rational sometimes when the team is struggling like it is. The sky can feel like it is falling at times and brash reactions are natural. That said, going to certain extremes is just unwarranted, as there have been some better players worthy of praise. Here are the four most off-based overreactions for the Steelers so far this season.

Steelers offensive line is the biggest issue

Going into the season, I was most concerned about how this new offensive line would play. While adding two new players was a boost, this group didn’t feel like a great line overall. The preseason added to that fear, as this line looked like a wreck. While far from an elite unit, this line has more than held their own so far this season.

It hasn’t been perfect, but this line isn’t the worst in the league. They have done a decent job of both pass and run blocking. Despite that, people still claim they are the only reason that the offense is struggling. Could this group be better? Of course, but they are far from the biggest issue on the team right now.

Matt Canada is the sole reason for the offensive struggle

Similar to the claim that the offensive line issues, there are a lot of people that claim Matt Canada is the only reason that this offense is struggling. While this take is far more warranted than the offensive line, putting the sole blame on Canada seems silly. The offense has a slew of issues and blaming just the schemes that are being used is a cop-out.

There has been a plethora of quarterback issues so far, Najee Harris has failed to play up to his expectations, and the receivers have been inconsistent at best. Canada hasn’t called a perfect offense, and he is deserving of a lot of blame. Claiming that he is the only issue though is overlooking a lot of the issues elsewhere on this team.

Kenny Pickett is already the difference maker

There may not have been a more overrated performance so far this season than Kenny Pickett’s debut. While the rookie did provide a boost for a stagnant offense in the second half, some are claiming that he was far better than how he played in his first game. While Pickett was an improvement for this team, he is also partially to blame for the eventual loss to the Jets.

In particular, his interceptions are being vastly underrated by the fans. While I can easily write off the hail-mary attempt, his other two picks are deserving of some blame. He isn’t the only party at fault, but to cleanse him of those decisions is wearing some rose-tinted glasses. Pickett looked fine in his debut, but there are plenty of ways he can improve his craft moving forward.

Alex Highsmith is overrated

This is a take I have seen come out recently, and quite frankly, it is one of the dumbest things I have heard all season. Alex Highsmith has 5.5 sacks through the first four games, and people are saying that he is overrated. A lot of this heat is coming from his performance against the Jets where he missed a few sacks, but that isn’t justification to call him overrated.

This defense isn’t getting any pressure right now, so the fact that Highsmith is a huge boost. No, he isn’t T.J. Watt, but few players have that type of impact. The fact is, Highsmith is a rising pass rusher in the league, and he is one of the lone bright spots on a miserable Steelers defense. He is having a breakout season and should be praised for that.

The Steelers have had a rough start to the season so far, but that doesn’t warrant some of the overreactions that have come up about this team. We have a right as a fanbase to be disappointed in this team but going to some extremes with our hot takes is silly. Don’t fall for these overreactions early in the season.