Three areas of offensive hope are emerging in rebuilding season
It’s not often the Pittsburgh Steelers, as a franchise, hit the reset button in substantial ways. But 2022 is one of those rare times.
Long-time GM Kevin Colbert has retired, replaced by Omar Khan.
As the Canadian national soccer teams head to their respective FIFA World Cups, Derek Van Diest is on the scene to cover all the action. Expect expert insights and analysis in your inbox daily throughout the tournaments, and weekly on Thursdays for the rest of the season.
Thanks for signing up!
A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of Corner Kicks with Derek Van Diest will soon be in your inbox.
Long-time QB Ben Roethlisberger has retired, after 18 years of mostly standout play.
Long-time head coach Mike Tomlin remains, and it has been his daunting task to pick up the leftover pieces and try to field something of a competitive team this NFL season.
And, unexpectedly, it has been a struggle.
At 3-7, Pittsburgh has one of the worst records in the AFC heading into this week’s Monday Night Football
On offence, there are perhaps three recent hat hooks of hope, long-term.
First, rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett. The 20th overall draft pick last April watched from the sideline for the first 3½ games of the season, as Chicago Bears discard Mitchell Trubisky impressed pretty much no one as the starting QB.
Pickett took over at halftime of Pittsburgh’s eventual 24-20 loss to the New York Jets. It has been mostly a rough go for Pickett; he threw his eighth interception before tossing just his third TD pass of the season last week in a 37-30 loss to Cincinnati.
He does have two wins to his credit, both at home, both against NFC South teams — Oct. 16 over Tampa Bay, and two Sundays ago against New Orleans.
He’ll go for road win and AFC win No. 1 against the Colts.
The second ray of hope for the Steelers is rookie wide receiver George Pickens. The Round 2 draft pick (52nd overall) is averaging only 3.3 catches per game, and has caught but two touchdowns. But his top-shelf talents are undeniable — both in how he can make routine catches simple, and otherworldly catches possible.
Thirdly, in the past two games the Steelers finally have been able to scrounge an effective ground game — something utterly absent for most of the past two seasons, at least.
It’s just not in the Steelers’ DNA to not be tough, physical and able to pound the rock whenever they want. After eclipsing the 100-yard rushing mark in only two of Pittsburgh’s first six games, the Steelers rushed for 95 four weeks ago, 144 three weeks ago, 217 two weeks ago and 102 last week despite falling behind so far so early against the Bengals.
Starting second-year running back Najee Harris is up to 550 yards on the season, with Jaylen Warren adding 190 more. That’s not much, in a league-wide Week 12 perspective, but a whole lot better than that duo’s meagre numbers a month ago today.
Unless you’re the offensively inept Cleveland Browns, or have a lousy QB, being able to run the ball is the best way for an NFL team to take a big chunk of defensive pressure off a young passer, first and foremost, but also a potentially prolific QB/WR pairing of Pickett and Pickens.
The fact the Colts might have to play Monday night without three of their top defensive linemen — end Yannick Ngakoue (back), end Kwity Paye (ankle) and tackle DeForest Buckner (ribs, illness) are all questionable — would help the Steelers offensively, perhaps immensely.
And the Steelers can use all the help they can get in that regard.
John Kryk writes a weekly newsletter on NFL matters. That’s where you can first see his straight-up picks each week. You can have the newsletter automatically dropped into your email inbox on Wednesdays simply by signing up — for free — at https://torontosun.com/newsletters/
JoKryk@postmedia.com
@JohnKryk
-
NFL Sunday preview
-
Toronto’s Nikola Kalinic playing for NFL’s Colts