A quick look at the offensive rankings in the NFL shows the Steelers are no better than 24th in any of the major statistics, statistics that show the true struggles the entire 2019 season has been for them when they've got the football.
In no game this season were those struggles more apparent then in their 21-7 loss to the Browns last Thursday night in Cleveland when the Steelers posted just 236 total yards, went 2-11 on third downs and never had an possession that gained more than 38 yards.
It was as ugly a performance -- capped off by four interceptions by Mason Rudolph and then a brawl to end the game -- in recent memory. And given the health of the team on that side of the ball heading into this Sunday's game at Cincinnati's Paul Brown Stadium against the Bengals (0-10), it's not likely to get any better soon.
Mike Tomlin didn't sound confident at all about the potential availability in this game for JuJu Smith-Schuster or James Conner, the team's two best offensive skill players. Smith-Schuster is in the concussion protocol and also suffered a knee injury in the second quarter against the Browns, while Conner aggravated a shoulder injury in the first quarter that had kept him sidelined for the previous two games.
That takes a lot of production -- and more notably, nine of the team's 18 offensive touchdowns -- out of the lineup. Add in the fact that rookie receiver Diontae Johnson also could miss the game because of a concussion suffered against the Browns, and the Steelers could be missing two thirds of their offensive touchdown production against the Bengals.
Even the Bengals, who have scored just 14 offensive touchdowns themselves this season, would have produced more scoring than the five touchdowns the remaining Steelers' skill position players have posted this season.
"We’re not looking for excuses," Tomlin said Tuesday. "It is what it is. We’re trying to win football games. There are different circumstances week in and week out, some of which we don’t have control over. We do have control of our preparation, our readiness and, ultimately, our execution. That’s our focus."
The focus had better be laser-sharp this week, because the talent pool is thin, even for a game against a winless team. That's especially true for a team that has already been struggling mightily to put points on the board.
The Steelers rank 24th in the league in scoring at 20 points per game. But they've also scored just 24 points in their past two games and have three total offensive touchdowns over their past three games.
They've won two of those by riding a defense that had been red-hot forcing turnovers, prior to seeing a streak of forcing multiple turnovers in eight consecutive games stopped in the loss to the Browns.
The Bengals will afford some opportunities for the defense to get turnovers -- they've thrown 10 interceptions and lost 10 fumbles -- but it might not matter if the offense can't figure some things out. However, the Bengals are the worst team in the league defensively.
But can the Steelers take advantage of that with an offensive unit that treats the end zone like a demilitarized zone?
Currently, the Steelers are on pace to score their fewest touchdowns since 1998. Their rushing average of 3.5 yards per carry is the lowest since 2013. And since the 1970 NFL merger, the team has never had a season in which it has averaged less than the 9.9 yards per pass attempt it currently has.
The Steelers expected some struggles without star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger -- out since suffering an elbow injury just six quarters into the season -- but it didn't expect them to be this monumental.
Nowhere was that more apparent against the Browns than in short-yardage situations. The Steelers faced seven situations against Cleveland on third or fourth down on which they needed three yards or less to gain a new set of downs.
They failed on six of the seven, with Rudolph throwing five incompletions, Trey Edmunds getting stuffed for a 1-yard loss on third-and-1, and Rudolph making the only conversion on a sneak.
The Steelers were winning on first and second downs, only to largely stop themselves in those situations.
"It’s not only execution, but planning," Tomlin said. "We realize short yardage has been an issue for us. There are a couple of ways to approach it. Our execution could be better. There’s a certain meat-on-meat or bone-on-bone element to football that you can’t run away from. Short yardage is one of them. In the meantime, we can do some things from a coaching perspective and a planning perspective to assist the guys, as well. We’re working in both areas."
One thing that could help is the potential return of rookie running back Benny Snell. Snell has missed the past three games with a knee injury that required minor surgery. But he has been cleared to return to practice this week.
Typically low key when it comes to players -- especially young ones -- returning from injuries, Tomlin said he was "excited" about the potential return of Snell. Snell has 28 carries for 118 yards this season and has been used in some of those short-yardage situations, even when Conner was healthy.
"We’ll get him on the field and see what he looks like, not only in terms of his health, but a young guy like him, who has missed time, we’ll be focused on his ability to execute, and execute in great detail," Tomlin said. "He’s got a two-prong thing; not only health, but game preparation from a detail and knowledge standpoint."
Every healthy player -- especially skill players -- are a bonus at this point.
The Steelers are lacking in them across the board with the guys they could potentially be missing against the Bengals, whom they beat 27-3 back in Week 4.
Tomlin has some comfort the offensive line will produce -- even with center Maurkice Pouncey suspended for three games because of his involvement in the brawl at the end of the game against the Browns. He said he feels good about what the team is getting out of its tight ends.
The rest? Well, that remains to be seen.
"Some of the other things are a work in progress. We make no bones about that," Tomlin said. "But we’re also comfortable with the guys to deliver because they’re professionals, they’re prepared and we’ll be thoughtful about the things we’ll ask them to do."
To continue reading, log into your account:
