Physicality and A Short Term Memory Are Key To A Steelers Bounce Back
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
There’s no hiding from last week’s performance. From coaching and strategy to player execution, the Pittsburgh Steelers were humiliated in every aspect of the game by Kyle Shannahan and the San Fransisco 49ers. It was ugly. But it was still just one week. They don’t add extra losses to your total for embarrassing defeats. The season is young, and with the upstart Cleveland Browns coming to town, Mike Tomlin and the Black and Gold have an opportunity to reset and re-chart their path on what many thought would be a promising season.
From the outside looking in, it would seem that Cleveland presents a daunting task. They have a very good roster and present some of the same challenges that the 49ers did a week prior. But after looking at the ALL-22 from both the Steelers’ loss and the Browns’ Week 1 win, there are plenty of areas the Steelers can improve on to help win this game.
Physical Presence Is A Must
Every young quarterback’s best friend is a running game, and despite the weapons the Steelers possess outside, running the ball is a must in the wake of Kenny Pickett‘s opening day.
Coming into the season, there were concerns about the Browns’ lackluster run defense from the year before. While they tried to address it (see Dalvin Tomlinson), the Cincinnati Bengals had success in the ground game. Why they didn’t stay with it on a day that felt like a monsoon is anyones guess. Yes, Pittsburgh struggled running last week. But much of that can be attributed to a flawed game plan that dug an early hole and led to the early abondonment of the ruishing attack.
Cleveland has a fast defense, so running side to side is not ideal. But you can run downhill at them. Off-tackle runs and inside zone plays to exploit the Browns linebackers are key. The strength of Pittsburgh’s offensive line is the interior three. Getting them up on second-level defenders will no doubt open up running lanes that we didn’t see last week. The O-line needs a big bounce-back week after a disaster against San Francisco. Myles Garrett and Co. can get after the quarterback. It will be important to stay out of as many third-and-long situations as possible. Running the ball early and effectively will do exactly that.
Pickett Needs A Short-Term Memory
Kenny Pickett has to play better. It’s as simple as that. As good as the 49ers’ defense was last week, Pickett missed way too many throws. He was late, throwing behind open receivers. Sometimes he just flat-out missed them. It will be a challenge with Diontae Johnson out, but the receiving corps is deep. The back end of the Browns’ defense can be taken advantage of if you have the time to throw. Pickett’s accuracy can’t be in question this week.
What shocked most people last week was that Pickett didn’t trust what he saw. The All 22 shows that he had guys running free. It seemed like he saw them but just didn’t pull the trigger. This same problem was present in his first few starts last season. A regression can’t be in the cards. Pickett has to trust the scheme and trust himself. This is a huge game for his future. He has to get back to driving the ball downfield and throwing receivers open versus waiting for them to get open. It’s the NFL. If you wait, that window closes.
Matt Canada’s And His Smoking Hot Seat
Despite the fair share of the blame Pickett deserves, the “Fire Matt Canada” hounds are out in full force. I completely understand. It made sense to give Canada the first five games to show improvement, but the offensive game plan against San Francisco was pathetic. Nine rushes is a beyond questionable. Regardless of what the score was, this is not the “Run and Shoot” offense. The Steelers are built to be physical. Enough with the jet sweeps on second-and-short. The way to beat a fast defense is to attack. Canada has to give his guys a chance to do what they do well. He failed them in Week 1. Let’s not have a repeat.
The Defense Has To Show Its Teeth
Aggressive. Aggressive. Aggressive. The Steelers defense needs to be aggressive in attacking every aspect of the Browns’ offense. Deshaun Watson has not regained his 2020 form. I know it was a downpour, but he looked lost at times in the opener. He was extremely erratic under pressure. The Steelers need to get to him as often as possible. Blitzing early and often will be key to keeping Cleveland off schedule.
Ultimately, stopping the Browns’ offense means stopping Nick Chubb. While Cleveland possesses a top-five offensive line in the league, they are down Jack Conklin, one of the best right tackles in football. That will offset Pittsburgh’s loss of Cam Heyward. Containing Chubb is priority No. 1, as Kevin Stefanski has shown in the past that he will abandon the run. Young lineman and new linebackers need steep up, shed blocks, and attack.
After being physically whipped last week, Mike Tomlin shouldn’t have to do much to get the guys motivated. It’s Monday night football. The Browns are coming to town. Time to prove that Week 1 was an exception, not the rule.
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