Steelers in precarious spot as problems finally catch up to them

PITTSBURGH – It was good news, bad news when Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin met with the media on Monday to kick off a short week.

Good that the medical update on Kenny Pickett indicated that the starting quarterback, knocked out of the Sunday loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars with injured ribs, has a chance to make it back for a shift against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium.

"The door is definitely ajar for Kenny," Tomlin said.

Pickett’s status will be a game-time decision, Tomlin said. Tests on Monday confirmed that the second-year pro didn’t suffer any structural damage. He’ll be monitored during the week to assess his functionality and comfort level.

As Tomlin put it, "He’s a young guy. I need to see something from a physical standpoint from him."

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Now the update on the bad news: Pickett happens to be the quarterback for one of the NFL’s worst offenses, his injury a fresh problem for a 28^th-ranked unit that has been a mess all season.

Pickett, when healthy, has been one of the problems. This was illustrated on Sunday when he missed open receiver Diontae Johnson over the middle on the first drive, then came back later in the first quarter and failed to connect on a third-down throw to George Pickens, who was running a deep corner route.

The alternative? Mitchell Trubisky relieved Pickett for the second half on Sunday and was hardly up for the task of saving the day. With Pittsburgh trailing by seven in the fourth quarter, Trubisky threw the type of ugly interception that you wouldn’t expect from a seventh-year veteran. He forced the pass into triple coverage over the middle.

"I’ve got to be smarter," Trubisky said during his postgame news conference.

"Maybe on that instance I was doing too much, and that’s where you get into trouble," he added. "I wanted to push the ball down the field, and that was the wrong thing to do on that play. Got to learn from it."

Maybe with a few days of preparation, Trubisky can provide a spark. And maybe the Steelers (4-3), with offensive coordinator Matt Canada under extreme heat all season, will find a way to get talented receiver George Pickens more in the mix.

Pickens produced Pittsburgh’s only touchdown on Sunday when he hurdled two defenders to finish off a 22-yard play. It also happened to be his only catch of the day.

Never mind the double coverage that the Jaguars rolled to Pickens throughout the game. As Tomlin pointed out, the Steelers have had dynamic receivers before who have attracted coverage – and it opened opportunities for others.

Add it to the woes. No, it’s not all on Pickett, who hasn’t had a 300-yard game this season. And if he starts on Thursday, it won’t be solely on the shoulders of Trubisky. The Steelers haven’t run with any effectiveness. Najee Harris, who averaged 1.9 yards per carry on Sunday, hasn’t rushed for 100 yards this season after posting just one triple-digit game in 2022. No, it’s not all on Harris. The much-maligned offensive line hasn’t opened holes, and the blocking to protect Pickett has been suspect.

As was the case with the latest outing, Pittsburgh has also had a terrible time establishing rhythm early in games. On Sunday, the Steelers went three-and-out on each of their first four possessions, continuing a pattern that had had them trying to come from behind – and with an offense that has not been built for that, given a lack of big plays – as a matter of routine.

In five of seven games, the Steelers have been held scoreless in the first quarter; in six of the games they have trailed at halftime. And in five of the games, they have failed to even make a first down on their opening possession.

Talk about being in a hole.

"We’ve got to execute better at the early portion of football games, obviously," Tomlin said after his offense converted just three of 12 third downs, and zero of two fourth downs on Sunday.

It’s no wonder that the “fire Canada” discussions have become cliches on the local sports talk radio shows.

And it’s a wonder that the Steelers have won four games this season. That’s a testament to a defense that leads the NFL with 15 takeaways, but ranks 30^th in yards allowed and has been under extreme pressure to keep the games close. Although the offense managed to generate enough to scratch out points in crunch time, including the Week 7 victory at the Los Angeles Rams, that is no formula for sustained success.

Good news, anybody?

"Just got to prepare on a short week," Trubisky offered. "That’s the job. We play on a Thursday. Sometimes it’s a positive thing because we get to flush the game quickly and get the taste out of our mouth and get back to the game on Thursday."

They might be careful what they wish for. Then again, with the season approaching the halfway point there’s a lot of football left. Maybe that’s a good thing, with the hope of evolving like last year as the season progresses. Or perhaps it’s merely a set-up for more bad news.