The Steelers are currently in the middle of their bye week and lots of things have to change. They might hold the top seed in the AFC North division for now, but that will not hold if they keep playing like they did in the first part of their season. It is tough to win in the NFL, many understand that, but the way they're winning is an issue.
When Pittsburgh finds ways of winning ball games, it seems like their opponent does enough to hurt themselves to end up on the losing end. Never complain about a loss, but you must look at the corrections that need to be made to improve your team along the way. The black and gold need to find different ways to improve their team externally or internally.
It is past time that the Steelers cut Gunner Olszewski from the roster
It was kind of a shocker that Gunner Olszewski stuck around to make the roster after a poor performance last season. Maybe the coaching staff of the Steelers thought that he would be a reliable backup and could even return to form that he possessed in New England. That train of thought has backfired significantly and it's time to move on.
Olszewski has only gotten a couple of opportunities to get his old role back with the team and each time it has been terrible. He has fumbled the ball multiple times on returns and has also done significant damage to his own club with poor decisions. There are little to no reasons why this returner by trade and receiver by position identification is still on the roster.
It is time for both Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin to admit the mistake of keeping this player around and release him. Maybe a change of scenery would be in Olszewski's best interest regarding his potential future in football. There are other options on the team that could take his spot namely Calvin Austin III, Desmond King, or even Anthony McFarland Jr. when he returns from injury.
The coaching staff has to keep Broderick Jones in at left tackle
Dan Moore Jr. went down with a knee injury and it's not clear when he will return to action. Broderick Jones got his first start of his career at left tackle last week against the Baltimore Ravens. He was matched up against former number one overall pick, Jadeveon Clowney. He more than held his own against the talented pass rusher.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jones only allowed one quarterback pressure during his start last week. Maybe Jones is the answer to get this offensive line back on track. There are still weak points on the offensive line. Jones will not be able to fix every issue, but he will be able to allow Kenny Pickett to feel more comfortable on his blind side.
Mason Cole has been a disappointment this season after having a strong finish to his campaign last year. Many thought Cole would be able to rebound and help complete a strong interior for this offensive line. Chuks Okorafor gets paid a lot of money only to be an average right tackle for this team. Both of them could be in Pittsburgh for their last go-around.
Jones could be the stable part of the offensive trenches with Isaac Seumalo seemingly turning the corner. They could be a solid one-two punch while Moore is gone. The Steelers should evaluate Jones's play while Moore is out, but unless he significantly recedes in his progress, they need to start Jones from here on out. Have Moore challenge Okorafor at right tackle if anything.
Joey Porter Jr. is another rookie that needs his role to increase into a starter
Another rookie that the coaches have refused to play much during the first chunk of the season has been Joey Porter Jr. Most understood why Broderick Jones did not start right away as the Steelers wanted to bring him along slowly and they had an experienced veteran there. Even if that veteran might have never played great throughout his career.
The Steelers secondary might be one of the worst in the NFL right now. The corners on the roster are terrible and the starters are easy pickings for any quarterback in the NFL. Both Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson have been almost equally terrible compared to one another. Pittsburgh is in a heap of trouble, and it could ruin their season.
Joey Porter Jr. has been making plays with the limited number of snaps that he has been given. He has not allowed a single catch in coverage this year and even intercepted the ball in the end zone to allow for the black and gold to come back against Baltimore. He has earned a starting role, especially with how bad Wallace and Peterson are playing.
Plug Porter into the top role guarding the top receiver for each week. Then have Desmond King fill the slot cornerback tole to kick Chandon Sullivan down to a depth spot. Wallace and Peterson will have to fight for snaps on the opposite starting spot of Porter. Maybe going defensive possession to possession might be the best outcome for Peterson and Wallace while Porter becomes the top corner on defense.
The Steelers have to rely on veteran players when they get back from injury
Pittsburgh has been missing their veteran players for the first part of the season due to injury. Both Diontae Johnson and Cam Heyward have been missing from the lineup for weeks and the hope is that they can get back after the bye or soon after. It will be interesting to see when both of these players can return to the lineup.
Johnson seems likely to come back first as he has stated that he will be back after the bye week. Bringing him back to a stale offense might allow for that unit to sustain some drives and move up and down the field a little more consistently. Johnson plays a different style than George Pickens and that should give their offense a boost.
Heyward is the leader of this team and continues to attend the games on the sideline even with his injury. He had surgery a while ago and should be on track to return in the coming weeks. He will be a nice addition to this defense front that needs help slowing down the run and applying pressure to the quarterback. Keeanu Benton has done a nice job filling in, but they need the veteran back.
Another name to monitor is Anthony McFarland Jr. who has missed most of the regular season with a knee injury. No one knows if he will be back this year, but his services would be a good addition on special teams. That would take Olszewski off as the kick returner and McFarland would replace him. It is a smaller role than the other two, but it would help there and secure the running back depth more.
Pittsburgh has to find a way to demote Matt Canada if nothing improves
Matt Canada is the talk of the town as the Steelers offensive coordinator can't show his face around the city. Maybe the fans are being too hard on the guy, but then again, his offense has been terrible for the past three years. There have been almost no adjustments during that time and the fans have let him and the city of Pittsburgh know it.
It is hard to move on from an offensive coordinator in the middle of the season, so it seems like Tomlin will not do that unless they get even more desperate, or the season is already lost. Canada will probably be the guy for the remainder of this season, even though he should not have been brought back to start with. Maybe his being fired doesn't need to be the answer.
Perhaps demoting Canada internally will be the best outcome for the club. It was mentioned that Byron Leftwich reached out to the Steelers about his interest in joining their staff. He has a history of being a quality offensive coordinator the year he won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Maybe bringing him in as a consultant for the rest of this year will work.
Allowing Leftwich to become the offensive play caller while Canada has to sit back, and watch could be an answer. Sadly, Leftwich will not be able to change much to the play calls at this point in the schedule, but he might be able to add new wrinkles along the way. The Steelers need to find a way to turn things around on offense quickly.