PITTSBURGH — All is well on the North Shore after the Steelers knocked off their division rivals in the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. It was ugly, muddy, and unlike anything I had ever seen. I’m not surprised it was close and that Pittsburgh won, but in the fashion they won, it puzzled me how this all went down. But this one has many positives and negatives, with many questions still boiling about the team. However, now they head into the bye week on top of the division. What can be taken away from this one?
George Pickens is a Star
I think it’s time to say that George Pickens is a star. There are no questions about it anymore. We are talking about a guy who got thrust into a WR1 role without Diontae Johnson. Johnson will come back soon enough, and what a welcome sight he will be to this offense, but in his absence, Pickens notched two 100-yard receiving games and proved he could be a top option in the offense. A lot of guys sink when given this chance. For all the hype about Pickens, he swam in every way possible.
On Sunday, his contested catch skills showcased themselves once again. The Ravens went heavy man coverage down the stretch and decided against bracketing Pickens. Pickens saw some legitimate one-on-one options for the first time since Johnson went down, and he told the Ravens never to do that again.
But it’s how Pickens has won this year that makes this encouraging. On Sunday, he won through contested catches and vertical stemming. Yer this year, he has won through route running (yes, he can separate), YAC, and has created magnetism for other players. Whenever the first defense backed off to dare go against the bracketing strategy employed by other teams, Pickens made them pay. That’s what good players do. Pickens has arrived.
The Secondary Concerns Remain
On the stat sheet, the Steelers secondary had a good day. But no, they really did not if you watch the tape. There is a reason that the Steelers decided it was time to go heavy into their man coverage looks and get away from what they were doing in zone coverage in the first half. Pittsburgh was getting crisped up and down the field. Now, Joey Porter Jr. also steps into that vacuum, and for good reason. But the team is still struggling to cover receivers across the field and deep down the field. Without Porter in the game, they got negative cornerback play consistently. It’s hard to function as a defense when that happens.
Patrick Peterson, Levi Wallace, and Chandon Sullivan all struggled. Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal played much better. But only Ravens drops saved Pittsburgh’s secondary from another disastrous day. Porter’s heavier inclusion signals a positive move for this group, and down the stretch, they played their best football of the season. Peterson in the nickel more bodes well for his game, too. He looked more comfortable there, where they put him in spots to read, react, and make plays on the ball. It probably won’t be perfect, but this is an upgrade; now they need to continue that.
Encouraging Broderick Jones Game
It’s well-documented that the team loves Keeanu Benton. Porter’s standout performance is evident. But the rookie who stood out most crucially was first-round pick Broderick Jones. Against Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and his exotic blitzes, I had my worries for Jones. And while the Ravens got to Kenny Pickett sometimes, Jones was not the reason for it. He played a very solid game in a tough matchup.
https://twitter.com/dillybar2145/status/1711078074169573389
Could you give me all the stock in Jones? Not everything will be seamless for him. But I see a player learning on the fly and improving with more time played. He’s an upgrade over Dan Moore Jr. with his level of athleticism and is a plus in the run game. There’s little doubt about that. Despite a lack of refinement with his hands, Jones has a level of athleticism that gives him leeway to recover. I was not sure it would translate to the NFL level, but it did. Against elite edge rushers, he might have a tough time still. But man, encouraging performance from him.
The Offense Isn’t Absolved, Though
Despite the high emotions of the game and the final drive, let’s not absolve this offense for anything. It was a slogging, awful game up to that point. And the usual issues remained in this game. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada made several baffling calls, while his static offense that pushed the ball outside the numbers popped up in this game more than ever. Kenny Pickett‘s passing chart from this week showcases this one. Canada did not make as many egregious play calls this week to me as this past week, but obviously, not much worked until the final drive, so something is going awry.
The weekly Kenny Pickett passing chart pic.twitter.com/bZtYiJXj9W
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) October 8, 2023
Pickett himself has a colossal clutch gene. He deserves credit for his best throw of the year on the Pickens touchdown throw. That remains true, but he must be better before those drives. Pickett still ran into pressure, dropped his eyes, took terrible sacks, and remained a chaotic quarterback. Yet again, I love the big moment splash from Pickett; that’s him, but I need more out of him in the three-quarters before that.
The offensive line failed to pick up several stunts while getting minimal push in the run game. As a result, the Steelers averaged a mere 2.9 yards per carry. The problems remain up front despite some new guys coming into the fold. In particular, Mason Cole and Nate Herbig stood out in harmful lights in this game. The team misses James Daniels, and his return to the lineup will be welcome for the group following the bye week.
Lastly, the group missed their weapons in Pat Freiermuth and Diontae Johnson. That’s unsurprising, but they have no consistent weapon outside of Pickens in the passing game. Jaylen Warren probably deserves more of a run there, and he proved he should get that. But the process of the win continues to say this is unsustainable. They’ve done it three times now, but they need more from the offense. The group has to give them out of the bye week.
Linebackers Playing Well
People still rag on this team’s inside linebackers, but I think for what it is, the Steelers have received solid play from this group in the first block of their season. Cole Holcomb is on a heater right now. He had a terrible first game at San Francisco, but he has proven to be a solid starting inside linebacker in the past four games. Kwon Alexander still has his intensity and smarts. After the first quarter, they sniffed out the screen game at a high level and made some impact plays in that facet. Alexander was everywhere down the stretch. Elandon Roberts is limited, but his run defense is excellent. When he is asked to do what he does well, I like Roberts a lot.
Pittsburgh asks a lot of their inside linebackers. But this group has given them solid play when they have simplified it and catered to their strengths. It’s eons better than last year. Not perfect. For example, the group does not have a star like Fred Warner or Roquan Smith, but it has held its water and is giving the Steelers a solid level of play. It’s a much-appreciated and the best linebacker room they’ve had in years.
Trust in Boz
It’s an obligatory post, but it’s time to give Chris Boswell a shout. In a year where the offense is allergic to scoring, anytime they get into field goal range, it remains essential. The leg of Boswell is how the Steelers have decided to score their points this year. Which, well, is okay, I guess. But Boswell has cashed in every time so far this season. Boswell has returned to form after a shaky end to last year following an injury. It can not be overlooked, given the play of this offense, but Boswell continues to build an excellent career in Pittsburgh as a trusted option in the kicking game.