Incompetent offensive play forces Steelers' slide in latest NFL power rankings

We all know that it's just preseason. What we've seen on the field over the past two weeks isn't necessarily a reflection of what you will see in the regular season. This is more or less what Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith had to say when addressing the media. At the same time, we can't hide how ugly the offense has been for Pittsburgh.

Heading into the preseason finale, Mike Tomlin's team is averaging seven-and-a-half points per game, as the offensive line has been steamrolled and the quarterbacks haven't been able to make anything happen.

Against the Bills in Week 2 of the preseason, Russell Wilson led the first-team offense to zero points in nearly two quarters of play, while Fields mustered up just three points the rest of the game.

NFL analysts and media outlets are taking notes... and they don't like what they've seen.

Recently, ESPN's NFL Nation staff released their latest 2024 power rankings ahead of the final week of the preseason. Unsurprisingly, the Pittsburgh Steelers dipped to the 16th-ranked team -- down one spot from their previous power ranking.

While the Steelers didn't plummet in the power rankings, ESPN believes they are mediocre. The New York Jets leapfrogged Pittsburgh on the list as Tomlin's team sits directly above the Chicago Bears.

Steelers must turn their offense around in the preseason finale

Watching a third straight preseason game without a touchdown scored would be a horror no human should have to endure. Though it's hard to say which starters will be suiting up for the Steelers and how many snaps they will play, both the fans and coaching staff could agree that we need to see better results.

Though the defense has looked competent without their star players suiting up this preseason, the offense is nowhere near where fans hoped it would be. In Week 2 of the preseason, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson combined to complete 19 of 27 passes for 113 yards (5.1 yards per attempt) while collectively taking four sacks.

The passing game isn't the only issue. Outside of a 20-yard scamper from Fields, the running backs couldn't get anything going on the ground against Buffalo. The rest of the team combined to carry the ball 19 times for 64 yards -- a mere 3.3 yards per carry.

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith doesn't want to reveal his hand before the start of the 2024 regular season, but he needs to do something to give his offense a spark in the preseason finale. This unit needs a boost of confidence, as does the Steelers' fanbase.