In the world of American football, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been facing some challenges on the offensive side this preseason. With only 15 points scored in two preseason games, the Steelers have struggled to find their rhythm. Quarterback Justin Fields has only managed to contribute three of those points when he’s been on the field. Even the return of Russell Wilson, who made his season debut against the Bills, couldn’t spark the offense into action, as he failed to lead a scoring drive in his five series of play.
After the disappointing 9-3 loss to the Bills, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin had trouble assessing his quarterbacks’ performance. “It’s somewhat of an incomplete study because you just don’t get a chance to see them operate or us establish rhythm and personality when you’re not winning possession downs,” Tomlin expressed. “And we weren’t. The first three or so series of the game, it was three and out, and you’re not going to get an opportunity to establish rhythm or play the way you’d like as an individual or a collective.”
The lack of pass protection posed a significant challenge for the quarterbacks, especially Wilson who was sacked three times. Greg Rousseau took advantage of Broderick Jones, who was playing at right tackle as Pittsburgh experiments with their offensive line. On the other hand, Fields’ mobility allowed him to avoid multiple sacks, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the overall deficiencies in pass protection. “We’ve got to do a better job in pass protection than we did — not only in possession downs but just in general,” Tomlin emphasized. “That can’t be a problem for us. We’ve got to be better than we were tonight in that area.”
Looking ahead to the preseason finale against the Lions, the Steelers are expected to field a more experienced offensive line group. However, they will be missing the veteran center/guard Nate Herbig, who may be out for the season due to a torn rotator cuff suffered during training camp. Additionally, rookie first-round pick Troy Fautanu is also dealing with an injury.
As Tomlin evaluates his options for the final preseason game, he will closely monitor the offensive line performance and make a decision on which quarterback will start. The Steelers are looking to bounce back and showcase a more cohesive offense in their last preseason outing. So stay tuned as the drama unfolds on the gridiron.