The Steelers' offense did some growing up in Saturday night's win over the Raiders.
But there is still plenty of room to grow. The good thing is they know exactly where they need to grow.
Kenny Pickett met with reporters Wednesday afternoon at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and while the game-winning drive he helped engineer certainly became a topic of conversation, the rookie quarterback wasn't shy about the next step for this offense.
"I think just consistency and finishing drives is going to be the focus," Pickett said. "We’ve got to finish in the red zone and be better there. So, like we've been preaching pretty much this back half of the season, that's the main emphasis that we’ve got to continue to try and become a lot better at."
The Steelers are tied for 17th in the NFL, converting 53.3% of their red zone trips into touchdowns. However, the some recent games tell a better story of how this team has been able to move the ball, then stall when the field gets shorter.
One example is the game in Atlanta, and it might be a microcosm of the overall issue. The Steelers went 1 for 2 in red zone opportunities, walking away with 10 points from those two trips. But, three other drives gained at least 45 yards of offense to get to the Falcons' 30-yard or closer, and each of them ended with a field goal.
It's an area of the field this young offense has yet to unlock.
"The field changes, right? Obviously, when you're at midfield, or you're in minus 50 territory, you have the whole field at your disposal," Pickett said. "When you get down there, the field shrinks. You’ve got to continue to be balanced and do some different things. So that’s one thing that we're going to continue to work on."
Some may try to point to the game-winning drive against the Raiders and try to use that as a basis for how the Steelers can begin finding success in the red zone more consistently. However, it might not be that simple.
"It’s two-minute drill. It's a completely different game from that standpoint, and with time, and kind of where you're at in the game, and pressing to go down there and score a touchdown," Pickett said. "They call things differently; we prepare differently for two-minute. You really can't, I would say, compare that to the rest of the game, just because of the situation."
How can the Steelers work on this issue? Part of the problem is overall lack of experience, and there's no quick fix to that. Pickett's a rookie quarterback that won't even have a full season's workload at the end of the campaign. George Pickens is a rookie that is still working on perfecting his route tree. Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth are still in their second year.
NFL defenses are complicated, and this group has only scratched the surface of all the different looks and schemes that can be given by the opposition. Mike Tomlin might not grade on a curve, as he likes to put it, but there will be an adjustment period for younger players to better execute the concepts called.
That leads to another potential problem. When I asked Diontae Johnson Wednesday about how this offense can try to improve in the red zone, his answer was pretty straightforward.
"Calling better concepts. Just really knowing what the defense is in," Johnson told me. "Once we get down there, finding different ways to get our best guys in the right spots to have a chance to score. I feel like we do that at times. Other times, it's like, 'What could we have done better here?' We just need to come out with a great game plan and concepts, getting the right guys in the right spots, calling the right plays and leaving it up to us to execute the play."
That, of course, is not a ringing endorsement of Matt Canada, and he's not the first player to say something like this that reflects poorly of the offensive coordinator. Even with the improvements made on offense over the course of the season, it still might not be enough to save his job if the offense consistently comes to a screeching halt every time they get into or even near the red zone.
The more these younger players play together, the less likely they are to be overwhelmed or confused by defenses. Even in this season, we've seen Pickett struggle in clutch moments in Miami, throwing two interceptions late in the fourth quarter. But, we've seen him engineer two fourth quarter comebacks since.
As far as calling better concepts, well, that might be something that isn't addressed until after the season.
MORE FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
• In addition to the red zone issues, the offense is trying to improve against zone coverage as opposed to man coverage. They've noticed defense doing more of the former lately, and the Ravens run zone coverage far more often than man.
Pickett pretty much didn't play against the Ravens after leaving so early with a concussion, and his passer rating against zone defenses is 63.3 compared to 80.5 against man coverage. He'll need as much support from his receivers and coaches to succeed in a must-win game.
"Do we have the right plays dialed up to beat zone coverage," Johnson said Wednesday morning. "Coach was harping about that today, just beating zone coverage because that's what we're going to see a lot more of in those weighty moments. Coming up with a game plan and knowing what to do in those weighty moments, we've got to execute and convert downs against zone coverage."
• Speaking of those weighty moments, you want some more proof that Pickett's got what it takes to make it in the NFL? At least, from a mental perspective?
When asked if he feels like Saturday night's game-winning drive was what Tomlin described as a "growing up moment," Pickett gave an answer that resembled more of a 10-year veteran rather than a rookie.
"Absolutely. I mean, it's a step in the right direction, but I'm not going to overdo it," Pickett said. "We did what we were supposed to do, we got there, we won the game in that situation. It’s a huge positive for us, but now we have to obviously turn the page and get ready for this week."
This kid gets it, guys.
• Pickett's teammates are seeing it too. His maturation is more and more evident every week, and his teammates aren't afraid to say it.
"Kenny's been playing way better," Johnson said. "He's playing more comfortable and getting the ball down the field, spreading it around, giving it to his guys. And we're making plays for him. The defense gonna do what they do. We're just going to continue to rally like that."
• Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring) officially returned to practice Wednesday, starting his 21-day window to return from injured reserve.
• William Jackson III (back) hasn't officially returned to practice, but today was the first day I saw him wearing his No. 17 practice uniform. It'd be shocking if we see him dress this season.
• Cam Heyward was an absolute beast Saturday night against the Raiders, and he was rewarded with AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Alex Stumpf has more on that.
• On the injury front, only Diontae Johnson (toe) was limited and Tre Norwood sat out with his hamstring injury suffered in the Raiders game. Cam Sutton was originally listed on the injury report instead of Norwood, but that was a clerical error by the team.
• Six other players were also listed on Wednesday's injury report: Najee Harris, Terrell Edmunds, Myles Jack, Pat Freiermuth, Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi. However, the main reason for their appearance was them representing the Steelers at Franco Harris' funeral, which took place Wednesday.
The six made it back to the South Side as media availability in the locker room was wrapping up after practice. Edmunds, Jack and Ogunjobi likely wouldn't have practiced or would have been limited, at most. But, it's good to know there were some players there to represent the organization.
• Sadly, the Steelers dealt with another death on Wednesday that hit way too close to home. The organization announced that John J. Rooney, the son of Art Rooney Sr. and the brother of Dan Rooney, had passed away at the age of 83. He had previously been a member of the Steelers' board of directors.
