The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

By Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

The Pittsburgh Steelers won their season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, and that’s ultimately the most important thing.

But they certainly didn’t make it easy on themselves.

While the Steelers’ defense turned in an impressive performance in the 20-13 victory, Pittsburgh’s new-look offense struggled to find any type of consistent rhythm in its first regular-season game under Mike McCarthy.

• There were drops.
• There were missed opportunities.
• There were moments where Aaron Rodgers and his receivers didn’t appear to be on the same page.

And perhaps most concerning of all, there were continued problems along the right side of the offensive line.

The encouraging part?

The opportunities were there.

That’s why Week 1 doesn’t necessarily need to inspire panic about Pittsburgh’s offense. But the Steelers also can’t afford for some of Sunday’s problems to become recurring themes.

Pittsburgh Left a Lot of Points on the Field

The final numbers for Rodgers on Sunday were fine.

He completed 24 of 40 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown.

But those numbers don’t completely describe his performance.

Pittsburgh had opportunities for several explosive plays that simply weren’t finished.

None was more obvious than a deep pass to DK Metcalf.

Metcalf split the Atlanta defense down the field, Rodgers delivered the ball exactly where it needed to be, and what should have been a long touchdown instead hit Metcalf’s hands and fell incomplete.

That’s a play the Steelers simply have to make.

Roman Wilson had another opportunity near the goal line that was considerably more difficult, but again ended with the football popping out of his hands and hitting the ground.

Those two plays alone dramatically change the perception of Rodgers’ debut if they’re completed.

Instead of 221 yards and one touchdown, we’re potentially talking about a 300-yard, three-touchdown performance and an offense that scored enough points to comfortably put Atlanta away.

That’s simultaneously encouraging and frustrating.

The Steelers were creating opportunities.

Rodgers was finding them.

They just weren’t finishing them.

Did the Steelers’ Preseason Approach Contribute to the Rust?

It’s impossible to know whether playing Pittsburgh’s offensive starters during the preseason would have completely eliminated Sunday’s problems.

But it certainly wouldn’t have hurt to get them some work together.

Rodgers didn’t play in the preseason. Neither did Metcalf or Michael Pittman Jr.

That meant several of the most important pieces of a completely redesigned Steelers offense were essentially trying to develop regular-season chemistry while playing a game that counted.

At times, it looked exactly like that.

• The offense appeared clunky.
• Timing wasn’t always there.
• Rodgers and his receivers occasionally looked like they were still learning each other.

There’s obviously a risk-reward calculation involved with preseason football. Nobody wants to lose a key player in an exhibition game.

But there’s also value in allowing a new quarterback, new receivers and a new offensive system to work through some of these issues before Week 1.

The Steelers ended up surviving them against Atlanta.

Against better opponents, they might not.

There Were Encouraging Signs in the Passing Game

For all the frustration, Sunday’s performance wasn’t devoid of positives.

Pat Freiermuth’s involvement was perhaps the most encouraging development.

Freiermuth caught all five of his targets for 46 yards and scored Pittsburgh’s only offensive touchdown on a beautiful throw from Rodgers into the back of the end zone.

After being largely marginalized within Pittsburgh’s offense last season, seeing Freiermuth immediately become involved in McCarthy’s offense was significant.

The Steelers talked throughout the offseason about attacking the middle of the field more consistently, and Freiermuth should be one of their most useful weapons in that area.

Pittman also had an encouraging Steelers debut, leading the team with 58 receiving yards on three catches.

Even Darnell Washington provided another reminder of just how difficult he can be to bring down once the football gets into his hands.

The pieces are there.

And perhaps most importantly, Rodgers generally looked capable of distributing the football to them.

For a 42-year-old quarterback beginning a new chapter of his career, that was one of the biggest questions entering the season.

After one game, Rodgers himself doesn’t appear to be Pittsburgh’s biggest offensive concern.

The Offensive Line Might Be

The right side of the offensive line is a much different story.

This was a concern throughout the preseason, and nothing that happened against Atlanta made it disappear.

Quite the opposite.

Pittsburgh simply didn’t get good enough play at right guard and right tackle, and that’s something the Steelers need to address quickly.

The most interesting development came when Troy Fautanu was forced out of the game.

Pittsburgh moved Dylan Cook to left tackle and inserted Max Iheanachor at right tackle alongside Spencer Anderson at right guard. Iheanachor only received a brief opportunity, but it was enough to raise an obvious question:

Why not give him a longer look?

Iheanachor showed promise when healthy during training camp, and if Pittsburgh believes he’s physically ready, there isn’t much reason to continue waiting while the current configuration struggles.

At some point, the Steelers need information.

Put Iheanachor on the field and see what happens.

If he stabilizes right tackle, Pittsburgh may have found an internal solution.

If he doesn’t, the Steelers still have time to determine whether they need to explore the trade market before a weakness becomes a season-long problem.

Because unlike dropped passes or some early-season timing issues, the offensive line isn’t something Pittsburgh can simply assume will improve as everyone gets more comfortable.

Personnel matters.

If the personnel isn’t good enough, the Steelers need to find players who are.

The Running Game Needs Help, Too

The offensive line issues also make evaluating Pittsburgh’s running game more difficult.

Jaylen Warren provided some positive moments, rushing 10 times for 46 yards while adding five receptions for another 27.

Rico Dowdle was surprisingly quiet, finishing with only 10 total touches.

Neither performance should inspire sweeping conclusions after one week, particularly when the offensive line wasn’t consistently creating favorable conditions.

But Pittsburgh’s entire offensive vision becomes considerably more difficult to execute if the line can’t hold up.

• McCarthy wants balance.
• Rodgers needs enough protection to allow routes to develop.
• The running backs need lanes.

Everything starts up front.

And right now, that’s where Pittsburgh’s biggest offensive question exists.

Week 1 Was a Warning, Not a Disaster

There’s a tendency after the first game of an NFL season to treat everything we see as evidence of what a team will be for the next four months.

That’s probably a mistake here.

The Steelers won.

• Rodgers made several impressive throws.
• Freiermuth was involved.
• Pittman contributed.
• Pittsburgh created opportunities for explosive plays that could have completely changed the complexion of the game.

There is plenty to build on.

But there were also problems that can’t simply be dismissed because Pittsburgh escaped with a victory.

• Metcalf has to catch the football when Rodgers puts a potential touchdown directly into his hands.
• Rodgers and his receivers need to develop better timing.
• The Steelers need to become more efficient offensively.
• And most importantly, Pittsburgh needs to figure out its offensive line.

The good news is the Steelers get to address all of those problems while sitting at 1-0.

It’s much better to learn these lessons after a win than after a loss.

But Week 1 also provided a warning.

Pittsburgh’s defense was good enough to carry the Steelers past Atlanta.

The offense can’t expect it to do that every week.