The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been atrocious for most of the season, ranking 31st with 15.3 points per game in 2022, 30th in total yards per game, tied for 27th in turnovers and dead-last in passer rating heading into Week 8.
The quarterback change from Mitchell Trubisky to Kenny Pickett didn’t significantly jumpstart the offense. But coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday he’s not ready to make more changes with his starters or coaching staff — despite calls for offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s job growing louder by the week.
“I don’t feel like I’m there,” Tomlin said of offensive changes, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The entire offense is a mess. Najee Harris can’t break tackles behind a struggling offensive line. The first-round running back has generated 3.5 scrimmage yards per touch in 2022, last in the NFL (minimum 75 touches). The QB play has been a struggle, including Pickett’s three-INT evening in Sunday’s loss in Miami. And the receivers have been inconsistent.
Following Sunday’s game, Chase Claypool asked for more deep shots in a continually restricted offense.
“We need more splash. We need bigger plays,” Claypool said. “We need to go down the field a little bit. Sometimes, a defense prevents that, but we have to go down the field.”
It was presumed last year that Ben Roethlisberger‘s aged arm was a reason for the lack of downfield targets. However, with the trend seeping into 2022, the issues are clearly with Canada’s offense and a sieve offensive line.
Tomlin will continue down the charted course for the time being.
“Keep working,” he said. “With continuity, it raises your floor. When you raise your floor and minimize negativity, you increase the potential for positivity. Sometimes, the changes that need to occur aren’t significant ones. They’re just continuing to work and understanding that the dam’s going to break in terms of those opportunities.”
After Sunday’s intrastate bout with the 6-0 Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers have a bye. It’s possible, if the offense continues to struggle, Tomlin might take the break to make a change to the offense finally.