Following their week one victory in Atlanta, the Steelers needed to do three things: involve Pat Freiermuth more in the passing game, stretch the field with Calvin Austin, and somehow get Najee Harris to run the ball with some authority to be a game-breaker.
Two weeks later, the Steelers started incorporating that into their offense against the Chargers. Starting in their week two game, they incorporated Freiermuth more into the passing game. However, it was hard to tell from the offensive mistakes.
Steelers get Austin and Freiermuth involved against the Chargers
Against the Chargers, he did have some key receptions, but only one of them was called back due to an illegal formation. As long as Freiermuth becomes more involved, he has a better chance of extending drives for Justin Fields as long as he is out there calling plays. He did it for Ben Roethlisberger, he did it for Kenny Pickett and he can do it for either of the Steeler's quarterbacks.
The Steelers didn't give Freiermuth a contract extension for nothing. He has turned into one of the best receiving tight ends in the NFL. Anytime he is involved in a passing play, the Steelers have a great chance to pick up a first down or even a touchdown in the red zone. The Steelers offensively are heading in the right direction.
The second thing the Steelers needed to do was take shots to Calvin Austin for long gains. The Steelers did that exactly against the Chargers. Twice, as a matter of fact. The first time, a long gain was critical as it allowed Chris Boswell to put the Steelers ahead 13-10.
Then, in the fourth quarter, in the middle of the field, he found Calvin Austin again. This time, with room to run, he busted the play open for 55 yards and the touchdown, extending the Steelers' lead to 20-10.
This was Austin's second-longest touchdown reception of his career. However, it showed that he still has his blazing speed and can burn defensive backs when he has the lane to run after the reception. That's why they needed to take deep shots to Austin. It paid off big time in Week 3.
Najee Harris still hit and miss in the running game
Najee Harris still has his ups and downs in the running game. In the first half, he had three yards in total against the Chargers. In the second half, things changed. He managed 67 yards with a long of 21 yards in the final minutes of the game, helping to seal the Steelers' win.
It would still be helpful to see Harris be a game-breaker and post some rushing performances of over 100 yards. If he can do that, it will take a lot of pressure off of the quarterbacks and the Steelers' defense, plus it will help the passing game when the opponent's defense has to bite on the rush first.
Nevertheless, the Steelers' offense is heading in the right direction, doing what it needs to keep them in games. With that, they are leading the AFC North. If they keep going how they are, they could take their AFC North opponents out of the season before divisional play begins.
The Browns and Ravens are 1-2, and with the Bengals slated to play Monday night, they could tie the rest of the division at 1-2 or drop to 0-3. Steelers fans have a right to be excited about where the direction of the Steelers season.