When Ben Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards in 2018, many felt the Steelers were too reliant on their passing game as they threw the ball 67 percent of the time.
But they would certainly take that pass-heavy offense now. Heck, at this point, they'd take any offense. It's been missing in action in its first three games, proving to be the main culprit in the team's 0-3 start.
How bad has it been?
Witness the numbers:
• The Steelers are 30th in total offense at 269.3 yards per game. Only the Dolphins and Jets are worse. Ten teams average more passing yards than the Steelers have averaged total yards per game.
• The Steelers are 26th in yards per play at 5.0. Only six teams -- the Titans, Packers, Cardinals, Bears, Dolphins and Jets have been worse. And five teams average more yards per rushing attempt than the Steelers are averaging per play.
• The Steelers are 31st in time of possession at 25:08 per game, with only the Dolphins ranking lower.
• The Steelers also are 31st in the number of offensive plays run with 163, with only Jacksonville (162) having fewer.
• Finally, the Steelers are 29th in third down percentage at 26 percent, with only the Packers, Jets and Dolphins ranking behind them.
It's all added up to just five touchdowns in three games heading into next Monday's game at Heinz Field against the Bengals, a surprising turn of events for a team that ranked sixth in the league in points per game in 2018.
"I wouldn't say surprised," receiver James Washington told me when asked about the offense's rankings. "We've just got to make plays and help our defense out. Our defense is playing really good. We just have to execute when we're out there."
Some would argue Washington's point about the defense playing "really good," but it's certainly been better than the offense. And the offensive struggles have left the defense on the field way too much, 212 plays already this season. Only the Lions, with 213 plays run against them, have been on the field more.
"I think it's establishing the line of scrimmage and moving the guys up front, getting them off the ball," Matt Feiler told me. "And then converting third-and-shorts. We've got to get ourselves into position to do that. Winning the third-down battle, staying on the field and keeping our defense off it."
Sounds simple, right? But thus far, nothing has been simple.
With the exception of the trade of Antonio Brown in the offseason, the offense returned largely intact from 2018. But Roethlisberger played just the first six quarters of the season before going down with an elbow injury that required surgery. That was completed Monday, but Roethlisberger won't be back until the start of the 2020 season, at the earliest.
The offense, however, was worse with Roethlisberger than it has been without. The Steelers scored just one touchdown with their future Hall of Fame quarterback running the show. They've scored four touchdowns with Mason Rudolph, but they've also had some big failures.
The defense forced four turnovers in the first half in last Sunday's 24-20 loss to the 49ers, two of which came in San Francisco territory. But the Steelers turned those into just six points, twice kicking field goals.
"I feel like we've just got to go out there and help them out," Washington said. "They get us a turnover on the 25-yard line, we've got to get it in there. It's that simple."
One would think. But nothing has been simple for the Steelers thus far.
With Rudolph making his first career start, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was very conservative with his play calling in the first half, when Rudolph failed to complete a pass beyond the line of scrimmage, going 8 of 15 for 40 yards.
"They were trying to get him settled in, get him settled down and relaxed," Washington told me. "When he did that, he stood in the pocket. And then he can do things."
That did happen in the second half, when Rudolph threw two long touchdown passes, a 76-yard catch-and-run by JuJu Smith-Schuster and a 39-yard bomb to rookie Diontae Johnson. Johnson's touchdown came one play after Washington got behind cornerback Jason Verrett, drawing a 32-yard pass interference penalty.
It was part of a second half in which Rudolph threw for 134 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Because of that, the Steelers are maintaining hope their offense can turn things around.
"I wouldn't say it's struggling quite yet. Nobody's panicking," Feiler said. "It's just that we need to get into a rhythm, and we need to get into it early and often. It's as simple as that."
Things won't be all that much easier this week. It appears Vance McDonald won't play this week against the Bengals. He suffered a shoulder injury against the 49ers and had his arm in a sling on Tuesday.
If he can't play, it would take a big target out of the offense. Despite leaving the game against the 49ers in the first half, McDonald is third on the team with 10 catches and a team-high two touchdowns.
That could force the Steelers to lean more on a struggling running game that has just 192 yards in the first three games. James Conner is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry and lost a critical fumble late in the game against the 49ers.
"Either way, you've got to establish the line of scrimmage," Feiler said. "You can't make any excuses. You have to find a way. We've got to do our job."
