Steelers vs. Bills Takeaways: The Problem is Coaching and Talent
BUFFALO -- The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered their worse loss of the season in a 38-3 blowout by the Buffalo Bills.
It wasn't pretty, and finding the positives after this one will more difficult than the game itself. But the Steelers have a long season ahead of them. In the NFL anything can happen.
Focusing on Week 5, though, the Steelers showed plenty.
Noah Strackbein's Takeaways
Najee Harris Isn't Healthy, and Shouldn't Play
There's no more hiding the fact that Najee Harris isn't 100% and it's killing his effectiveness. The Steelers offensive line has been a surprising bright spot this season, but the running game is struggling more than it did a year ago.
For five weeks, there was some reason or another to defend Harris. After Buffalo, it's clear that he isn't healthy enough to be an effective back and should spend some time on the sideline until he is.
The Steelers have Jaylen Warren to rely on, and Harris isn't losing his job if he misses a few weeks. Coming into the season with two foot injuries isn't ideal for any running back. It's now hit a point where he's pushing it too far and negatively impacting the team.
It's time for him to heal.
The Steelers Defense is Too Banged Up to Be Good
There are no positives on the Steelers defense right now. The group has taken a beating this season and it already appears to be over for any success they would've carried after Week 1.
With T.J. Watt expected to miss even more time after suffering a knee injury during rehab, this group is on a downward spiral they cannot correct. They need to, but there doesn't seem to be a way they can.
Right now, the entire starting secondary is hurt, they could very likely walk into Acrisure Stadium in Week 6 with James Pierre and Josh Jackson at cornerback, and now they're missing defensive linemen as well.
Injuries caught up quick, and the Steelers weren't deep enough to overcome them. The worst part is it's hard to win and heal at the same time.
It's the Coaches, But It's the Players
The Steelers coaching staff isn't very good. Mike Tomlin deserves a ton of criticism for how he's commanding this team this season, but Matt Canada continues to show he's not a capable offensive coordinator and Teryl Austin has to be the scapegoat on defense.
The coaching is only one level of the issue, though.
The Steelers just simply don't have the talent. In an NFL filled with star power, Pittsburgh is walking around hoping one or two stars - who are both hurt - is enough to win a Super Bowl. It's not, and they're learning that quickly.
Every team in the NFL needs to fall before they rise again. The standard is high in Pittsburgh, but no one can avoid the inevitable forever.
The Steelers need much more talent before they're ready to compete again. It's just not there this season.
Stephen Thompson's Takeaways
Pickett's Poise is Only Positive
Not much went right for the Steelers on either side of the ball, but Kenny Pickett's first start provided a lone bright spot. He completed 34 of 52 passes for 327 yards and while he didn't lead a touchdown drive and threw one interception, Pickett looked more poised than the average rookie does in their first career start.
That was perhaps the most frequently-given compliment about Pickett during the draft process - that his experience and age would pay off and it has. He faced a furious pass rush and held his position in the pocket until a good option materialized. Then his delivery on those throws made under duress was excellent.
The lack of scoring and explosive plays is concerning but for his first start in a hostile environment against perhaps the best team in the world, Pickett passed with flying colors.
George Pickens Has Arrived
It took the talented 2022 first-round pick a few weeks to find his stride within the Steelers offense, but Pickens, who hauled in six of his eight targets There is fantastic chemistry between Pickens and Pickett, two players the Steelers hope are franchise cornerstones for years to come.
Pickens was Pickett's favorite target outside of Diontae Johnson through six regular season quarters. He was versatile as well, winning with both his athleticism and crisp route running.
For as far as the Steelers have to go to competing with teams like Buffalo and other league contenders, fans can feel confident that they have an exciting, young and dangerous quarterback and receiver combination in-house.
Conservative Moves Don't Make Blowouts Easier
Twice, Mike Tomlin elected to kick field goals into swirling winds instead of put the ball in Picketts' efficient hands with the ball inside the Buffalo 30-yard line. Chris Boswell, kicking in unfavorable conditions, missed on both tries.
These decisions were not the difference in the game. Even if the Steelers had converted on those tries, the result likely remains the same. They handed a rookie quarterback the starting job during a week where they had to face one of the most complete teams in the NFL while down a number of key starters on their defense - the result was almost predetermined.
But the Steelers walked into Buffalo without anything to lose. Tomlin said he wanted to be "thoughtfully aggressive" but not "stupid" and that is all well and good but playing conservatively did no one any favors, even before Boswell missed two wind-altered kicks. They left low-stakes opportunities to test their rookie's mettle on the table. Even when there was nothing to lose but the Steelers played like there was - one small example of how they have approached this season from the beginning.
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