In the wake of the 17-14 loss to the Patriots, Mason Cole stressed the need for the Steelers' offense to find their identity in order for them to take the next step. In fact, go back and read his quote in my Kickoff from last week. He says "identity" five times in one answer.
But, since it was a short week, the main point I stressed in my Kickoff for the Browns game was if we would see the true foundation of Matt Canada's offense without Ben Roethlisberger -- the only man who could go rogue seemingly at will and suffer little tangible consequences. And the thing is, even in the ugly 29-17 loss, we still saw a blueprint for how this offense can be productive.
Remember, the Steelers led the Browns, 14-13, at halftime. And, they could have realistically ended up with 20 points in that first half if it weren't for a rare missed field goal by Chris Boswell and some poor execution near the end of the half.
So, what happened?!
"We had some crucial plays in the second half that if we got those plays, then it might have been a different story," Mitch Trubisky said. "I think there are a few more details in there that we will have to go back and watch on the film, but that is kind of what it felt like in the second half. Those plays we needed to hit, we just did not."
There is no doubt there were some missed plays in the second half. Diontae Johnson dropped a quick swing pass that could a have been a big gainer. Another big play by Jaylen Warren on a shovel pass was called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield penalty called on Chukwuma Okorafor. There were definitely plays there that, if executed, could have kept the Steelers ahead or put them in better position to win late in the game.
But, it goes deeper than that. All you have to do is go back to the back-to-back touchdown drives in the first half. Both times the offense traveled 75 yards to put the ball in the end zone, and they did it with a balanced attack. Yes, that means they ran the football. Effectively.
Pat Freiermuth, who was somehow invisible until the Steelers' final drive of the game, had no problem saying it outright after the game.
"Our run game helped a lot in the first half keeping drives sustained," he said. "They also kept downs to a manageable distance for us to work with."
As you may have read from Corey Crisan last Friday, Zach Gentry echoed the same sentiment.
"I think we were a more balanced attack in the first half," he explained. "We were able to run the ball really well. Najee was ripping off for some chunks in the first half. The game kind of got away from us in the second half, and so play-calling had to be changed a little bit because we had some points we had to make up for, but the first half was really nice, really balanced."
Yep. On a night where the offensive line was especially good, the Steelers stopped running the football in the second half. Look at Cole in this clip. Watch him perfectly execute him chipping Kevin Dotson's assignment then hit the second level to open up a hole of which Harris took full advantage:
This wasn't an isolated incident. The offensive line collectively had a solid game. Harris carried the ball 10 times for 46 yards in the first half. That's 4.6 yards per carry. As a whole, the offense gained 88 yards on the ground in the first half, averaging 5.5 yards per carry -- and the Steelers needed only one jet sweep to contribute to that total.
Separate note: That's what those plays are supposed to do. They're supposed to be wrinkles in the offense, not generate the biggest piece of the pie on the ground like they did in Cincinnati.
16 first-half carries produced 88 yards on the ground. Yet, the Steelers finished the game with 22 carries for 104 yards. Harris carried it five more times. A six-yard gain by Trubisky was the only other carry.
But ... why? After finally running the ball so effectively, and seeing how it turned a sputtering offense into a well-oiled machine, why was this the first play the offense ran in the second half?
Forget about the fact that this isn't a running play. What the heck kind of a play is this? It's not a screen. One man against four defenders is not a screen. This is literally a waste of a play and should never see the light of day again.
Even in spite of that putrid play, the Steelers moved the ball down the field into Cleveland territory on this same drive. As poor as Trubisky looked at times in this game, in this next clip, watch how well he gets the defense to bite on a throw downfield, then hit Harris with wide open space for a first down. Then, take a look at another abomination of a play with some horrendous execution on the quarterback's part to boot:
So much went wrong on first and 10 here. Why did Trubisky not see George Pickens wide open (on the far sideline) running a comeback? Why did Trubisky check down to Harris when he was already engulfed in defenders? And -- I can't stress this enough -- why did they not run the football?
Listen, I understand first down is the most predictable down to run the football. But, the best teams are able to impose their will and do it anyway. That's what the offense did in the first half. And they abandoned the very aspect that actually made them a productive offense for the first time this season.
Is it because they were trying to stay one step ahead of the Browns? If so, shame on them. I'm going to reach out to a niche group here that loves, or at least remembers, 'The Mighty Ducks' trilogy. Remember what Coach Orion taught Charlie Conway about playing defense? "Make him make the first move, Conway!" Make the Browns make the first move, then readjust.
Or, to use a cliche that many more people will recognize: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Because then, after a couple of failed series, the offense may be forced to become one dimensional to try and win the game. And let me show you an example of what that may look like this season. Remember, this is against the Browns. Not the Bills. Not the Buccaneers. Not the Ravens, or even the Bengals again:
When the offense needed a drive to get back into the game, that sequence is what Canada, Trubisky & Co. turned in. And this leads to my main point here.
While Roethlisberger was a shade of himself a season ago, there is one thing he could still do: Put the team on his back and carry them to a win. Of the nine wins in 2021, six came via fourth quarter comeback. There is enough evidence in the first three games to logically come to the conclusion this can't be how the 2022 Steelers operate.
They have to run the football.
Do they need to throw down the field more often? Yes. Do they need to properly utilize the talent they have at receiver and tight end? Yes. Do they need to use the middle of the field in the passing game? YES, YES, YES!
However, this team cannot win relying on Trubisky to throw the football. He's simply not efficient enough -- and he never has been in his career -- to do that week in, week out. This isn't Roethlisberger's offense anymore. You can't be bad for three quarters and then ask your future Hall of Fame quarterback to bring home a win.
And, if the offense can't sustain drives, not only will they not score enough, they'll be asking the defense to carry the load every single week. And while they may be the highest-paid defense in the league, that is not a good recipe for a winner in today's NFL. Offenses have to put points on the board.
Score points, but also possess the football. Do receivers want the ball more? Absolutely. But, multiple players have already publicly acknowledged how much the run game was the catalyst for a productive offense. And while there are players that need to execute better down the stretch, they also know they aren't the only ones responsible for a severely underwhelming unit through the first three games.
"We pushed it downfield a little bit more so that was good," Claypool said regarding any adjustments that need to be made. "I’m not sure. It is up to the coaches."
