The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the Week 5 bye with a 3-1 record. With the rest of the AFC North in shambles, Mike Tomlin's team is in pole position to keep control of the division. However, the Steelers need to go back to the drawing board to fix one of their biggest issues: the lack of wide receiver production.
While the game script has called for a heavy offensive package, 2-3 tight ends, and even a TE-eligible offensive lineman (Spencer Anderson) to boost the rushing attack, Arthur Smith's offense lacks explosive plays.
Through the first four weeks of the season, the Steelers rank just 26th in the NFL with 17 big plays, according to NFL expert Marcus Mosher. This puts them below teams like the Texans, Jaguars, and even the Saints.
The lack of explosive plays has resulted in low offensive yardage totals and modest scoring output. Over the past three games, the Steelers haven't recorded more than 200 yards passing in a game while averaging just 20.6 points per game.
Pittsburgh will need more explosive plays from its offense if it wants to compete in the playoffs this year, but how do they make this happen? The answer is relatively simple: get your wide receivers involved.
Mike Tomlin must get the Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receivers more involved after the bye
This is easier said than done. Pittsburgh's personnel would suggest that the team should be rolling with heavy 12 and 13-personnel groupings. Between Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, the Steelers have invested over $24 million this season in the tight end position. Meanwhile, Darnell Washington offers tremendous blocking ability and a huge frame in the passing game.
But if the Steelers aren't willing to change things up, we're not going to see the offense get more explosive after the bye week.
Entering the Week 5 bye, Freiermuth is averaging a pedestrian 6.5 yards per target, while Smith's 4.4 yards per target has proven even less effective than dumping the ball down to a Steelers running back, on average. In the same breath, the Steelers are spending too many targets in the passing game, hitting running backs in the flats for low-upside plays.
If the strategy is to control the clock and methodically move the ball down the field, this philosophy will work against bad teams. However, if the Steelers want more offensive upside, they need to look to their receivers for help.
The Steelers found a way to unlock DK Metcalf in Week 4. The 6'4'', 230-pound receiver can be a nightmare after the catch, so getting him on slants and posts with the ball in space is a must. This means targeting the middle of the field—something Mike Tomlin's offenses have shied away from in the past.
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Unfortunately, Metcalf can't do it alone, and the Steelers need to give Roman Wilson a chance to prove himself.
Wilson has largely been a decoy in the first quarter of the 2025 season, as the game script called for heavy personnel groupings. But to unlock the full potential of the offense, Wilson needs to get involved. With sub-4.4 speed and the ability to stretch the field from the slot or the boundary, Wilson could help open up the offense for Pittsburgh.
When Calvin Austin III returns from the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 4, he should be more involved as well. Austin has averaged a respectable 8.2 yards per target early in the season, but his usage has been sporadic.
Through the first four weeks of the 2025 season, the target distribution isn't where it needs to be. Steelers wide receivers have combined for just 44 targets (11 targets per game), while tight ends and running backs.
Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith want to take care of the football and play ball control offense, but that's only going to get them so far. If they want the Steelers' offense to leap forward after the bye, they need to start looking for their young wide receivers for help.