The Steelers are trending in the wrong direction to start the 2022 season, one which came with a number of questions on offense. After last week’s 38-3 loss to the Bills, though, no shake-up on the sidelines is expected.
When speaking to the media after the loss, head coach Mike Tomlin stated that he has been “highly involved” in the team’s offense, a unit led by Matt Canada. The latter has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny dating back to last season, his first as offensive coordinator. As Tomlin stressed, however, he will not make “changes for the sake of changes” with respect to the maligned play-caller (Twitter links via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor).
Through five weeks, Pittsburgh ranks 30th in the NFL in both yards (308.6) and points (15.4) per game. The underwhelming play of veteran signing Mitch Trubisky led to first-round rookie Kenny Pickett being installed as the starting quarterback, something which certainly didn’t produce the desired results in Week 5. He and the team face another tough matchup this Sunday against the Buccaneers.
Here are some other notes from around the AFC North:
- Beside Tomlin, another high-profile coach who has had a hand in offensive game-planning has been Brian Flores. The former Dolphins head coach sat in on that unit’s meetings prior to the Steelers’ game against the Patriots, per SI’s Albert Breer. More generally, Breer notes, Flores has been operating as an “over-the-top assistant” with the offense, in addition to his primary responsibilities as LBs coach. The expanded role comes as the team “hopes” Flores is able to land another HC opportunity down the road.
- As for the QB position, a deal could be coming soon. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic points out that, with Pickett having assumed No. 1 duties, it would make sense for Pittsburgh to move on from one of Trubisky or Mason Rudolph at the upcoming trade deadline (subscription required). The latter is a pending free agent and was the subject of trade talks this offseason, though the Steelers held on to him. Trubisky, meanwhile, is under contract for 2023 with a cap hit of $10.625MM.
- The Browns have the league’s top rushing attack, something owing in no small part to the play of their offensive line. That includes center Ethan Pocic, who signed in Cleveland this offseason after five years in Seattle. When weighing the options presented by a modest free agent market, the 27-year-old chose to work with Browns o-line coach Bill Callahan. “As soon as I wasn’t going to get a big contract, a long-term contract, everything was pretty low, league minimum for the most part, I just went to the team with the best coaches and the best players,” he said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. After the season-ending injury suffered by Nick Harris, Pocic assumed a starter’s role and currently ranks as PFF’s fourth-highest rated center.
- The first few weeks of the season have offered a glimpse into a new element in the Ravens’ offense. The team has implemented more looks from under center for QB Lamar Jackson, as detailed by the Washington Posts’ Jason La Canfora. Jackson operated almost exclusively from the shotgun prior to entering the NFL; Baltimore deployed plenty of pistol formations during the first four years of his career. 2022, however, has seen a dramatic uptick in his under-center looks, especially in the passing game – part of OC Greg Roman‘s attempts to diversify the team’s run-heavy offense. Overall, that has so far translated to just 213 passing yards per contest (23rd in the league), so the degree to which the team remains committed to this new element will be interesting to monitor as the season progresses.
A couple big ifs, but if the Steelers held onto Flores through next year and he was to the get a HC job in 2024, they would get extra 3rd round picks
When the Steelers won under Cowher, they ran a complex offense which included plays to throw off the defenses. I don’t think the Steelers have done anything except run, run, short pass, punt every game. If Tomlin says he is partly handling the offense, then he’s a good part of the reason why it is failing to score.
A HC can only work with the cards he’s dealt, which in Tomlin’s case is a rather weak hand. Pickett is as green as grass so it would make little sense to hand him a playbook with a complex offense.
Whether it’s just some strange series of coincidences or other, Tomlin seems to run off good assistants and bring in guys who have no problem with his oversight. Lebeau resisted meddling for years but we’ve learned Butler was largely just a figurehead. But offensively, you had Arians, you had Haley and you had creativity
Like I’ve said, I was a Tomlin supporter, but this mess is on him.
The timing for throwing in Pickett was horrible, starting first against the Bills and then Tampa Bay knowing the chances of winning were slim to none. He should have let Turbisky take the beating and then brought in the new QB to make it an easier transition. But the fans were clamoring for change. A good coach would have waited for better timing.
Agree 100%. I like Kenny but this is an unenviable position, to say the least. Horrible O-line, no running game, receivers who can’t catch the ball and a defense in tatters. And on top of that, we hear rumors of “quitting” and laughing as they get demolished. Now the entire secondary and Freiermuth are out?
How to kill the confidence of a young quarterback, 101
Tomlin is given credit for never having a losing season but has not gone to the next level with success. Super Bowl win was with Cowher’s team he inherited. Then bounced from playoffs early. If Flores is as good as everyone says could be an easy move to move him to coordinated or even better replace Tomlin. It is time to move on because the standard is no longer the standard under his control.
You gotta remember that it was very hard for anyone going to the Super Bowl when you had to go through the Patriots and Brady and more than not at NE. Tony Dungy and Peyton are HOF’s and check out their record against NE
Nice to read LaConfora’s measured and more reasonable take in the Post after hearing him crap all over the Ravens every weekday on the radio.
The Ravens deserve to be crapped on. Lamar Jackson is one of the least accurate QB’s in the game and he’s regressed in that department every season since his MVP one. He’s inaccurate, fumbles, and makes poor decisions with the ball. He’s not worth the money he’s already turned down and the Ravens need to move to plan B.
It is hard to assess the effectiveness of Baltimore’s switch to a more under-center style, as their running backs are just now recovering from last year’s injuries, and their offensive line is a mess due to injuries, retirements, and free agency departures.
This change makes sense though, as it offers Jackson easier throws (using play-action), it lessons the number of times Jackson runs from the pistol, and could get some receivers involved on sweeps, etc. In other words, I like the change in approach.
If that is the case, then the only way to evaluate it is as a failure as Lamar continues to be one of the worst QB’s in the game of football in delivering a ball on target. He currently sits around 72% which is a career low for him. He is one of the most erratic passers in the game of football and makes terrible decisions.
Like I said, if I was a betting man, I’d have put$ 100 on the Steelers. Things happen in this league that make you wonder