It hasn’t been the start of the season that many Steelers fans had hoped for. A strong offseason and preseason paved the way for some higher expectations, and while some groups have shined, others have fallen flat. Despite an even record, things don’t look great for Pittsburgh.
One of the biggest surprise disappointments has been the running game. The entire offseason was built around this unit, adding more blockers and scheming the skill position players to be ones that can chip in and block. With Kenny Pickett succeeding down the stretch with a potent run game, the team seems committed to an offense focused on the running backs.
The offense has been anything but that so far this year. The Steelers have run the ball a combined 31 times over two games, and as a team haven’t secured over 100 total rushing yards yet. I wanted to take some time to dissect this running game and see what the issue is and why the team is struggling on the ground.
1. The Steelers offense as a whole has been abysmal
For all of my vibrant “Fire Matt Canada” fans, this section is for you. While the entirety of the blame shouldn’t be on him, he certainly hasn’t helped. This offseason, the Steelers offense showed a lot of different looks from what we had seen a year ago. While the core of the offense was still the same, it seemed like execution would be different, and ideally, better.
Then week one happened, and it was quickly apparent that the expected changes, and even the changes we saw in the preseason, weren’t being used to great effect. Neither week one nor two saw the team put a lot of effort into establishing a ground game. Instead, it was back to the lazy concepts that this team struggled with a year ago.
To be fair, it is hard to commit to running the ball when you are down by a lot as was the case in week one, but committing to the run game never seemed like the intention. Instead, the honus was put on Pickett making the jump, something that hasn’t happened yet. Canada and the scheme deserve a lot of blame, but he is neither the only issue nor the primary issue.
2. The Steelers runners and blockers have been sub-par
It sucks to admit it, but some of the changes that the Steelers have made have fallen flat. Through two games, the line and running backs have seemed lackluster. The impact isn’t what anyone thought it would be.
The line in particular has been a sore spot. While I am not overly surprised by the poor play of the tackles, the interior has also been a weak spot. Mason Cole and James Daniels have been fine in their second seasons, but I wanted more. That said, they may be stretched thin given the poor play elsewhere.
A really negative surprise has been Isaac Seumalo. The “crown jewel” of the offseason additions, the expectation was for Seumalo to be a mauler along the interior. He hasn’t been, and he is closer to the bottom of linemen than the top. That said, Pat Meyer’s system can take some adjustment time, so I wouldn’t throw in the towel yet.
Neither running back has found a lot of success on the ground. Harris has the better average, but that has come in thanks to some garbage time runs. That said, he is running more north to south this year (although he occasionally dances too much) so I can’t complain. Warren has been similarly ineffective but has at least provided value as a receiver.
While the line has been poor, they still aren’t my key reasons for this unit struggling. Instead, I think the running issues can be blamed on one player mostly, although there is a fair share of blame to be passed around.
3. Kenny Pickett hasn’t helped his running backs
There isn’t a Steelers player I am more disappointed in his season than Pickett, and I think his struggles are a primary reason that this running game hasn’t been effective. The simple reason is that defenses don’t fear Pickett, and he hasn’t done anything to change that.
Pickett has looked uncomfortable so far in his second season. More often than not he fails to read a defense well, stares down his target, and his accuracy has been horrible. These were all issues that were slowly starting to improve last season, but I have seen major regression so far in 2023.
On top of this, the vertical element of his game is completely gone. Pickett is rarely throwing deep, and when he does, the aforementioned issues have made that a mistake. He has been inefficient this year, and he is making the job easy for defenses.
Instead of having to go lighter and be more focused on the secondary, teams can stack boxes and bring pressure/focus on stopping the run. Pickett doesn’t pose a threat to defenses. Even when the occasional big play happens (see the George Pickens catch and run against Cleveland), those are so few and far between that they don’t matter.
The Steelers offense is second to last in the league, and Pickett is a huge reason why. The opposing defense knows they can stack boxes and rush five or more players regularly, and more often than not, it will work.
While the playcalling is stale and the blocking could be better, Pickett is making it too easy for defenses to play the run. Instead of having to think about the passing game, and especially the vertical passing game, they can settle in, load boxes, and force the game to be won by Pickett.
These three issues, and primarily Pickett, are my only explanation as to why this running game is so pitiful. The Raiders, thankfully, have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league (although to be fair, the Steelers lead in that category). Pittsburgh needs to get back on plan and get both of their talented running backs going this week. Unfortunately, a lot of exterior factors are working against them.