Steelers headed in right direction
Maybe, just maybe, the Steelers played against two of the top defensive teams in football in the first two weeks of the season and that was the issue with their offense.
We know the San Francisco 49ers have a good defense. They led the NFL in both fewest yards and points allowed in 2022 and added defensive tackle Javon Hargrave to that unit.
And as much as it might pain Steelers fans to admit it, Cleveland’s defense has been dominating thus far, allowing an average of 163.7 yards over its first three games.
When the Steelers didn’t play one of those two defenses, the offense looked much the same as it did over the final nine games of 2022 – only better.
The big emphasis for the Steelers in the offseason was explosive plays. Over the course of their three games, they’ve produced those, including a 72-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to Calvin Austin III in a 23-18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
They’ve also had some of those chunk plays happen against the 49ers and Browns, as well. The problem was, those were largely the only plays they hit against those two opponents.
That they won one of those games, beating the Browns, is a testament to how well their own defense is performing, forcing eight turnovers thus far.
Against the Raiders, the Steelers not only got the chunk plays, they also put together sustained drives, even if some only resulted in field goals.
The end result was 333 total yards and 23 points. But that was largely because they went into an offensive shell in the fourth quarter while the Raiders tried to play catch-up.
Pickett played better against Las Vegas, posting the first two-touchdown-pass game of his young career, while the running game produced over 100 yards.
It wasn’t a perfect performance by any stretch. But it was a step in the right direction.
n The Steelers are now 8-2 in the past 10 games that Pickett has started and completed.
They might not be posting 400-yard or 30-point games, but they likely could have gotten there on both fronts against the Raiders if they had kept their foot on the pedal.
But that’s not how they’re built to win. They’re built to get a lead and then allow their defense to close things out.
Part of the reason for trusting that defense is outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
Forget the metrics you see thrown about by stat nerds. Results are what matter in the NFL, not what someone sitting on their couch considers a good or bad play.
Watt has six sacks, 12 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and a fumble recoveries in three games.
Watt has been the best defensive player in the NFL this season. He’s on pace to record 34 sacks, which would blow away his own NFL record of 22.5 set in 2021.
This week’s games
Steelers (minus 3) at Texans: Did you see how Steelers fans took over the stadium last week in Las Vegas. Don’t expect it to be quite so boisterous this week in Houston, but it should be around 50-50. The Texans are the new darlings after beating the Jaguars last weekend, but that was more about what Jacksonville didn’t do – pressure rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud – more than what Houston did. The Steelers will pressure the rookie. After all, Kendrick Green is starting at guard for the Texans. Take the Steelers, 27-16
Ravens (plus 2½) at Browns: The Browns’ defense will be tested by Lamar Jackson, but as much as we heard in the offseason about how Todd Monken was going to revitalize the Ravens’ passing game, they’re still relying on Jackson’s running as much as they ever have. That kind of one-dimensional attack won’t work here. And Baltimore’s defense isn’t all that fearsome. Take the Browns, 23-17
Bengals (minus 2½) at Titans: Which AFC North quarterback has the fewest passing yards in the first three weeks of the season? If you answered Joe Burrow, you’d be correct (Pickett leads the way). Burrow isn’t right at this point because of the calf injury that forced him to miss the preseason. And he’s not going to get better playing through that injury. Cincinnati just doesn’t throw the ball downfield because it knows Burrow can’t escape any kind of pass rush. Take the Titans, 20-17
Chiefs (minus 9½) at Jets: Perhaps the best quarterback in the NFL (Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes) against the league’s worst (the Jets’ Zach Wilson). That’s all you need to know about this game. Take the Chiefs, 27-13
Vikings (minus 3½) at Panthers: Two of the NFL’s four winless teams get together in this barn burner. That one of those teams is favored on the road against the other tells you how badly the Panthers have played. Take the Vikings, 27-17
Last Week: 4-1 ATS; 3-2 straight up
Overall: 8-6-1 ATS; 11-3 straight up