Steelers look to build with win
PITTSBURGH – Two games into the season, the Steelers have had many issues.
First and foremost among them has been a lack of offense.
The Steelers have had 23 offensive possessions, 10 of which have resulted in three plays and a punt. Only Jacksonville, which has seen half of its possessions end after three plays, has been worse.
As a result of the lack of offense, the Steelers are 0-2, having only scored 19 points heading into tonight’s game at Heinz Field against Chicago (2-0).
A lack of production on first down has consistently put quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the offense in second- and third-and-long situations that have been too difficult to overcome.
The Steelers are 24th in the league on yardage gained on first down, averaging 5.16 yards per play. But they’re 28th in first down running plays, averaging 3.54 yards per run.
“There’s no excuse for being in third-and-eight every time because we’re not efficient on first and second down,” said guard Ramon Foster.
Solving those issues against Chicago won’t be easy.
The Bears have a pair of come-from-behind victories, beating Cincinnati and Minnesota at home.
The Steelers hope playing at Heinz Field will be more meaningful for them this week than it was in Week 1, a 16-9 loss to Tennessee.
“I think a win would solve or help heal some wounds,” said Roethlisberger. “For us, it’s still early in the season. It’s a home game, so we feel like all home games are must-win.”
Helping matters for the Steelers will be the return of Pro Bowl tight end Heath Miller. Miller missed the first two games while recovering from a torn ACL suffered last December.
The team MVP last season, Miller caught 71 passes and scored eight touchdowns, both team highs.
“It’s always great to see Heath,” said Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. “I’m just happy he is continuing to make progress. We are seeing him more and more, which is a good thing.”
Miller gives Roethlisberger another target. What the quarterback would really like to have is a more consistent running attack.
The Steelers have only 75 rushing yards in two games. Felix Jones, acquired in a preseason trade from Philadelphia, will get the bulk of the carries today.
“I thought he did a good job on the carries he had,” Haley said of Jones, who had 37 yards on 10 carries in a 20-10 loss to Cincinnati Monday night.
“He found the holes when they were there. We need to do a better job creating some space for him, because he does look like he has some ability if we can get him into space.”
The Bears have had no such issues with running back Matt Forte. He’s gained 140 rushing yards and 112 yards on 15 pass receptions.
Quarterback Jay Cutler has also been sharp, throwing for 532 yards and five touchdowns. He has been sacked only once. He has, however, thrown three interceptions.
The Steelers have yet to force a turnover.
“We need to put people in bad situations behind the sticks,” safety Ryan Clark said. “(That) allows us to do what we do best, which is rush the quarterback, create pressure, sack-fumbles and cause bad throws.”
That’s what opposing teams have been doing to the Steelers. Roethlisberger has been sacked eight times in the first two weeks and has thrown two interceptions. The Steelers have also lost two fumbles.
“I think it’s more of an execution thing,” Roethlisberger said. “I think everyone has the mindset and mentality that we need to get it done. I just don’t think we’ve gotten it done, especially offensively. Whether it’s guys just not doing their job or turning the ball over, you can look at a lot of different things and point to a lot of different issues. We need to get those things fixed.”
Pittsburgh has not been 0-3 since 2000. It finished that season at 9-7. … The Steelers are 35-11 against NFC teams in games started by Roethlisberger.