The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off their bye week nearly halfway through the 2019 season. To say the season hasn’t gone according to plan would be an understatement. No one would have thought the Steelers would only have two wins through their first six games. Few people expected their offense to be as anemic as it has been. And certainly, no one would have thought Pittsburgh would have needed to use three quarterbacks at all this season, let alone through six games. All of that aside, the Steelers can still turn their season around. The division isn’t too far out of reach that Pittsburgh can’t claw their way back into it. There are several ways to turn around the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers season, but we’ll analyze a few.
Five Things That Can Turn Around the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers Season
Open up the Passing Game
Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers have grown used to seeing Ben Roethlisberger throwing the ball all over the park in recent years. Since 2009, Roethlisberger has averaged more than 250 passing yards per game. And the passing offense has been ranked in the top five in the league every year since 2014. Yet since Roethlisberger’s elbow injury in Week 2, there have been some flight restrictions for the Steelers offense. Through the first six games, Pittsburgh’s air attack is averaging 200 yards per game. Mason Rudolph has only had one game this season with more than 200 yards passing. His backup, undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges, has exactly 200 yards passing in his five quarters of action. None of this is beneficial to a productive offense in today’s NFL.
To turn the season around and get the offense back on track, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner has to take some risks. Rudolph has all the tools to grow into a quarterback like Roethlisberger. Rudolph’s name is peppered all over Oklahoma State’s record books and accumulated enough yards in his career to rank in the top-15 in NCAA FBS history. The talent is certainly there. Fichtner’s play-calling has protected Rudolph and Hodges by relying on the running game and keeping pass attempts safe and short. To prevent defenses from keying on the run, the Steelers need to start throwing deep. While it certainly opens the offense up to the risks of turnovers, the potential rewards from trusting your talented young quarterback could be much greater.
Consistency From Running Backs and Receivers
There is no disputing that there was a big talent drain for the Steelers at the running back and wide receiver positions. Replacing that loss was going to be a difficult task, especially with guys as young as James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. For Conner’s part, his lack of consistency is tied in large part to his health. While Conner hasn’t missed any games this season, he has been on the field for less than two-thirds of offensive plays in three of the Steelers six games. His rushing production is roughly half of what it was at this point last season. His receiving production has been on pace with where it was a season ago. The Steelers need Conner to stay on the field and give them more on the ground.
Conner would be helped if there was more consistent production from the wide receivers. The transition to being the true top receiver for the Steelers has been difficult for Smith-Schuster. While he leads the team in receiving, JuJu has yet to record more than 100 yards receiving in a game. His two touchdown catches have him tied with Conner, tight end Vance McDonald and rookie Diontae Johnson. Smith-Schuster has yet to build much chemistry with Rudolph, further driving down his production. Pittsburgh needs these two guys to step up and be the leaders at their positions. Young quarterbacks need help to get comfortable in the system. The Steelers offense is in the bottom five in total yards. To turn things around, the skill positions need to show how good they are.
Defense Must Stay at a High Level
Opposite of the offensive struggles have been the dominance of the defense. As the season progresses, the defense has been getting better and better. They rank sixth in the league with 20 sacks, third in interceptions, and second in fumble recoveries. Devin Bush is in the top 30 in tackles in the league, and just outside of the top 10 among linebackers. He is a catalyst that has reenergized the defense and as a result, has a legitimate case to make for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Probably the biggest improvement has been in the area of forced turnovers. Last season was an incredible struggle for the Steelers in that department. Throughout 16 games last season the Steelers managed just eight interceptions. In just six games this season, Pittsburgh has already matched that total. The trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick isn’t the sole reason for the defensive turnaround in this area, but the unit has gone to another level since the trade. In the two games before the trade, Pittsburgh forced two turnovers. In the four games since they average three turnovers a game. Maintaining this level of play will be crucial to turning the season around.
Stay Healthy
One of the easiest things to say but seldom easy to accomplish is staying healthy. In a game such as football, that can be nearly impossible to do. The injuries at quarterback have already had their impact on the team. The offense changed quite a bit when Roethlisberger was knocked out for the season, and yet again when Rudolph went down with a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens. Typically, if you have to use three quarterbacks in six weeks you’re not getting very far. There is little surprise that this has led to some very inconsistent offensive performances.
Injuries have hit the defense as well, mostly hurting the depth on that side of the ball. Of the four guys on the Injured Reserve list, three of them are defensive players including two defensive tackles. Half the players listed on the injury report leading into Monday night’s game against the Miami Dolphins are members of the defense. For the defense to maintain its level of play, they need guys like Joe Haden, Steven Nelson, Mark Barron, and T.J. Watt to get and stay healthy. Keeping the best guys on the field is necessary to get the season back on track.
Keep on Winning
It’s that simple right? The best way to turn the season around is to win. That is true, but for more reasons than the improved record. Winning breeds confidence. Sometimes, all players need is a little boost of confidence to take the next step. It is true for veteran players rediscovering their form and true for rookies establishing themselves. The best way to build that confidence and those good feelings are to win games. The Steelers have a great chance to do that on Monday against the winless Dolphins. If there was ever a team you would want to face to get that ball rolling, it would be this Dolphins team. Get the victory on Monday, improve on the other points listed above, and the 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers season will begin trending in the direction the fans expect it to.
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