The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown flashes offensively through the first four games, but they have yet to consistently put everything together, whether week to week or even quarter to quarter.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts presents an opportunity to change that. Considering the circumstances, Pittsburgh could not ask for a much better opportunity to get its offense going.<\/p>\n
The Steelers enter Week 5 with a scheduling advantage. Pittsburgh last played Thursday, October 1, giving the team a mini bye before hosting Indianapolis on October 11. Meanwhile, the Colts are coming off a 30-13 victory over Washington in London. Now, Indianapolis must travel back across the Atlantic before preparing for another road game.<\/p>\n
The additional rest should work in Pittsburgh\u2019s favor. Head coach Mike McCarthy has emphasized the opportunity to self-scout during the break, and four games into the season is a perfect time to evaluate what has been working and what needs improvement.<\/p>\n
There are certainly plenty of areas that need attention.<\/p>\n
The offensive line has struggled to protect Aaron Rodgers, although Rodgers and his group of receivers haven\u2019t always helped the offense. A few key turnovers have ended promising possessions and shifted momentum, and Pittsburgh has struggled to sustain drives. At times, the running game has been productive without much help from the passing attack. Other times, the entire offense can disappear for extended stretches, although Rodgers and DK Metcalf might have found their groove lately, connecting on explosive plays.<\/p>\n
The frustrating part is that the Steelers have enough talent to be better.<\/p>\n
Jaylen Warren has established himself as Pittsburgh\u2019s lead running back, Metcalf remains a legitimate deep threat, and Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington provide two reliable options at tight end.<\/p>\n
However, Pittsburgh will now have to adjust without Michael Pittman Jr., who McCarthy confirmed will miss multiple weeks with a foot injury. That means Roman Wilson and rookie Germie Bernard will have elevated roles in the passing game and additional blocking responsibilities, something Pittman was actually pretty good at.<\/p>\n
While both receivers have an opportunity to prove themselves, Pittman\u2019s absence gives me even more reason to believe Pittsburgh should lean heavily into 12 personnel with two tight ends on the field.<\/p>\n
I would like to see the Steelers operating more from under center, establishing the running game, and keeping defenses honest with play action. Pittsburgh has actually been one of the better offenses in the league when operating from under center, which makes me question why we don\u2019t see more of it. Quite frankly, I do not want Rodgers throwing 40 times a game, especially with an inexperienced receiving group behind Metcalf.<\/p>\n
Of course, it all starts up front. The offensive line must control the line of scrimmage, establish the running game, and give Rodgers time to operate. Build the offense around Warren, stay ahead of the chains, utilize play action, and get the tight ends involved. That should also create opportunities downfield for Metcalf, Wilson, and Bernard.<\/p>\n
Sometimes football does not have to be complicated.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, Pittsburgh needs to finish drives. Moving between the 20s means little if possessions end in turnovers or field goal attempts, especially when those kicks are missed. Against a Colts offense featuring Jonathan Taylor, Pittsburgh cannot afford to leave points on the field.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Indianapolis enters the week ranked 31st in total defense, allowing 423.8 yards per game. Combine that with Pittsburgh\u2019s additional preparation time and the Colts\u2019 international travel, and this has all the ingredients of a legitimate get-right game.<\/p>\n
Coming off a disappointing divisional loss to Cleveland, the Steelers have had time to evaluate their mistakes and make adjustments. Now, those adjustments need to translate onto the field.<\/p>\n
I am not expecting Pittsburgh to suddenly become the most explosive offense in football. However, I do expect better execution, more consistency, and a game plan that utilizes the talent already on the roster.<\/p>\n
If Pittsburgh\u2019s offense is going to find its rhythm, this is the type of game where it needs to happen.<\/p>\n
Continue to follow The Steel Curtain Network for all Steelers news and updates. Follow me on X @CGillis2021. Stay Blessed and Stay Positive\u2026 Here We Go<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pittsburgh Steelers have shown flashes offensively through the first four games, but they have yet to consistently…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":304515,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74],"class_list":["post-304514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/304515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}