The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t need to have a great offense right now.

They don’t even necessarily need to be “great.”

But two games into the 2026 season, it would be nice to at least know what they’re trying to be.

That’s perhaps the most concerning part of Pittsburgh’s disastrous start offensively.

It’s not simply that the Steelers aren’t scoring points. It’s that there isn’t one area of the offense you can point to and say, “That’s what they’re building around.”

• They can’t run the ball.
• They can’t consistently protect Aaron Rodgers.
• Their receivers aren’t making enough plays.
• Rodgers hasn’t been particularly sharp when he does get opportunities.

And through two games, the Steelers have scored exactly one offensive touchdown.

So as Pittsburgh prepares for its first AFC North game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, maybe it’s time to lower the bar.

Forget about being great.

First, figure out what you are.

Mike McCarthy knows something has to change

One of the more encouraging developments this week was Mike McCarthy acknowledging that Pittsburgh may simply be trying to do too much offensively.

McCarthy said the Steelers plan to reduce the volume of their offense after an ugly 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Instead of carrying such a large collection of plays into a game, the idea is to narrow the focus and concentrate on a smaller number of things Pittsburgh can execute well.

That makes sense.

Because very little looked comfortable against New England.

• The offensive line couldn’t consistently protect Rodgers or create running lanes.
• Rodgers didn’t always capitalize when he did have time.
• The receivers dropped passes.
• The running game went nowhere.

There were breakdowns everywhere.

At some point, continuing to add more options isn’t the answer. You have to identify what your players can actually execute and make them good at it.

That’s especially important for an offense that was supposed to benefit from the familiarity between McCarthy and Rodgers.

Their history together theoretically gave Pittsburgh an advantage. Rodgers already understood McCarthy’s terminology and many of his concepts. Instead of starting from scratch with a new quarterback and head coach, they could theoretically skip ahead.

Maybe they skipped too far.

The Steelers have plenty of veterans, but Rodgers isn’t the only person who has to understand and execute the offense.

Five offensive linemen need to operate together. Receivers need to know their responsibilities. Running backs have to understand protections. Everyone has to see the field the same way.

If simplifying things allows those 11 players to stop thinking and start playing, it’s worth doing.

What does this offense actually do well?

Here’s the problem.

Normally, when an offense struggles, a coach can strip things down and lean heavily into its strengths.

What is Pittsburgh’s strength?

That’s difficult to answer.

The Steelers managed only 235 yards against New England, and even that number probably makes the performance look better than it actually was. A significant portion of that production came late while the Patriots were protecting a comfortable lead and allowing Pittsburgh to work underneath.

• The Steelers averaged 3.5 yards per play.
• Rodgers was under pressure.
• The running game couldn’t manufacture consistent yardage.

DK Metcalf continued dropping passes and now has four drops through two games. Michael Pittman Jr. missed the Patriots game with a foot injury. Roman Wilson hasn’t established himself as a reliable option. Rookie Germie Bernard has shown some encouraging flashes, but Pittsburgh certainly didn’t enter this season expecting him to become one of its most dependable receivers immediately.

There isn’t an easy button for McCarthy to push.

If Pittsburgh could run the football effectively, the solution would be obvious: Lean on Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Control the clock. Create manageable third downs. Use play action and give Rodgers easier opportunities.

But the offensive line hasn’t demonstrated it can consistently create those opportunities.

If Pittsburgh had a dominant passing attack, it could spread defenses out, let Rodgers distribute the football quickly and use short passes as an extension of the running game.

But that requires protection, accurate throws and receivers catching the football.

Right now, none of those things can be taken for granted.

That’s why establishing an identity is so difficult.

And so important.

Start with something

The Steelers don’t need to discover an elaborate offensive philosophy overnight.

They need to find something they can execute.

Maybe it’s the running game.

Maybe it’s quick-game concepts that allow Rodgers to get the football out before Pittsburgh’s protection breaks down.

Maybe it’s getting Warren involved as a receiver.

Maybe if Pittman returns, he can help create more favorable opportunities for Metcalf.

Whatever it is, Pittsburgh needs to find a handful of concepts it trusts and build outward from there.

Because right now, watching this offense feels like watching 11 players attempt to solve different problems simultaneously.

That’s not sustainable.

And Cincinnati isn’t exactly the opponent you’d choose when trying to work through these issues.

The Bengals invested heavily in fixing their defense during the offseason, and the early returns have been impressive. Their defensive front, led by Dexter Lawrence, presents a particularly uncomfortable matchup for a Pittsburgh offensive line that was overwhelmed in New England.

Cincinnati’s secondary has played well, too.

This isn’t a defense Pittsburgh can reasonably expect to stumble its way through while figuring everything out.

The Steelers need answers.

Sunday can tell us something — even if it isn’t pretty

Obviously, Pittsburgh wants to beat Cincinnati.

It’s the first AFC North game of the season. It’s at Acrisure Stadium. And with a Thursday night trip to Cleveland coming immediately afterward, the Steelers don’t want to begin this stretch by falling to 1-2.

But there’s another thing I want to see Sunday.

I want to understand what this offense is trying to become.

That doesn’t mean it has to score 30 points.

It doesn’t mean Rodgers needs to throw for 300 yards.

It doesn’t mean the offensive line suddenly has to dominate one of the better defensive fronts Pittsburgh has faced.

Just show us something.

Show us a running game that can consistently create four or five yards and keep Pittsburgh out of third-and-long.

Show us a quick passing game that protects Rodgers and gets the football into the hands of Pittsburgh’s playmakers.

Show us a core collection of concepts the offense can execute repeatedly and build upon.

Show us something that can carry over to Cleveland four days later and then continue developing as the season progresses.

Because right now, Pittsburgh isn’t simply dealing with poor offensive execution.

It’s dealing with an identity crisis.

And that’s the part McCarthy needs to start fixing immediately.

Pittsburgh needs a foundation before it can build an offense

There was plenty of optimism surrounding Pittsburgh’s offense during the offseason.

• Rodgers reunited with McCarthy.
• Metcalf gave Pittsburgh a legitimate No. 1 receiver.
• Pittman added another proven veteran.
• The Steelers had multiple running backs they could utilize.
• There were young players along the offensive line who were supposed to continue developing.

Two games later, almost every one of those areas comes with a question mark.

It’s still September.

There is plenty of time for Pittsburgh to figure this out.

But improvement can’t simply mean scoring a few more points Sunday.

The Steelers need to begin establishing something sustainable.

Something they can execute when defenses know it’s coming.

Something they can lean on when the game gets difficult.

Something that makes you look at this offense and immediately understand what Mike McCarthy wants it to be.

Great can come later.

Right now, the Steelers just need an identity.