It's the first season under the direction of head coach Mike McCarthy for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and at their bye week, a lot is going well. There have been plenty of bumps in the road to get to this midseason point for the team, but for the most part, they have overcome many obstacles. In recent weeks, the offense and defense are starting to click on all cylinders as they sit atop the division.
There is a daunting schedule remaining for the Steelers, but at the bye week, this club has hope in its favor. McCarthy and his coaching staff have formed a newfound intrigue among the fanbase, who hope this is the year they can finally get some postseason success. This team isn't perfect, as many question marks litter the roster, but for the most part, they have done enough to be successful.
Pittsburgh Steelers midseason report card shows grades that exposes their weaknesses
Maybe this franchise did desperately need a change of voice from Mike Tomlin after all. When Mike McCarthy was named his successor, many didn't give the team high praise for the decision. In truth, McCarthy has been a strong replacement at this point. There are some weaknesses that have emerged, but for the most part, you cannot deny the breath of fresh air he's brought with him.
Again, the defense has some warts, and some of those have led to issues early in the season, but Patrick Graham has done a solid job. It's a different type of defense than Pittsburgh has grown accustomed to under Mike Tomlin, but again, it's a nice feeling to see change. The defense has had some games where it looked troubled, but for the most part, Graham has done a good job.
There have been some weeks where Aaron Rodgers dials back the clock and appears like his old self. He had a stretch of three weeks where he was playing at a very high level. For the most part, the old gunslinger has done enough to help this team win. Rodgers needs to calm down his demand to throw the football in the red zone and run the ball.
If that happens, then Rodgers could help the Steelers' offense turn into something special down the stretch.
You cannot say enough about how much Jaylen Warren has led this offense. Again, the Black and Gold need to come to their senses and run their offense through their premier running back until the wheels fall off. He's off to a special start as the bye week hits. Rico Dowdle has also been performing better in recent weeks, which gives this offense another dynamic if that trend continues this season.
Fewer positions on the roster have disappointed more than wide receiver. DK Metcalf is clearly in his own head based on the number of mistakes he has made, and that is poisoning his game on the field. He could be cut after the year if he's not careful. Germie Bernard has produced some strong moments, but he's not a top target for an NFL offense.
Injuries have hampered this group, and it might force them to make a trade before the deadline comes and goes.
After the shortcomings of the wide receiver group became apparent, the tight ends have stepped up. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington are on a path to become the most dynamic duo at their position in the NFL. It's nice to see the Steelers finally utilizing both of their talented tight ends this season. Their emergence as top targets on offense has taken the pressure off of the wide receivers.
After some stumbles, especially early in the year, Pittsburgh has seemed to find its groove along the offensive line.
It hasn't been pretty for the unit, and some haven't lived up to the hype fully, but as a whole, they are starting to emerge in the trenches. Troy Fautanu hasn't been terrific as the bye week hits, but he is an improvement over what they had last season. Brock Hoffman has provided a boost, but it's clear that he might not be their long-term answer.
Despite injuries hitting this group, the defensive line has been terrific for most of the campaign. They have consistently shut down the run against some tough rushing attacks in the NFL. There have been instances where their success against the run diminishes, but again, for the most part, this group has been solid. Like the offensive line, they seem to be getting better with each passing week.
You'd probably expect a higher grade on this report card for the outside linebackers, but there have been games where they go missing. T.J. Watt has produced some monster games, and Alex Highsmith has as well, but they have both gone missing from time to time. In recent weeks, Nick Herbig is really coming alive, which is a great development. Jack Sawyer is someone who needs to start showing up more.
Inconsistencies continue to plague the inside linebacker group. Payton Wilson is playing some of his best football in recent weeks, which would be a fantastic situation to watch play out for the Steelers. Patrick Queen is just too inconsistent for this defense. Some weeks he is elite, and some he looks easily replaceable. If Pittsburgh's defense wants to go where they desire, this group needs to step up.
Kind of a lower grade for this group, but they have been put in a difficult position. For the most part, they have done a nice job of replacing Joey Porter Jr. as a whole, but they are still a big question mark moving forward. The remainder of the season will be tough for this unit to succeed. All of the starters have struggled at different points in the campaign, but expectations shouldn't be as high as they are.
Having DeShon Elliott back is a massive development, as the safety group has desperately missed him. Jaquan Brisker hasn't lived up to the hype up to this point in the year, and that could become a big setback for the secondary. The good news is that rookie Robert Spears-Jennings looks promising so far. His potentially developing into a starter at some point would be huge for this position.
You cannot ignore the level of disappointment the special teams have caused this year.
Other than Cameron Johnston looking decent as the punter, the rest have not been great. Chris Boswell continues to have a bad season, and it should worry many. He just got paid big money, and something looks off with him. Kaden Wetjen appears to be a rookie who might be heading for a day when he gets cut in the coming year.
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