Paul Zeise: Steelers need more offensive balance if they want to make playoffs

[Steelersfan43]

JuJu Smith-Schuster will be the Steelers’ primary option in the passing game. That is a much different role than he played last year, and there are valid questions to be asked about whether he is ready for it.

Those discussions are interesting, but Smith-Schuster isn’t the most important player in the offense. James Conner is — well, some combination of Conner, Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell. And how well they do their job — or perhaps more accurately, how many opportunities they get to do their job — will likely go a long way toward making Smith-Schuster’s job easier.

The Steelers need to run the ball more than they did in 2018. They need to be more balanced than they were in 2018. They need to be able to impose their will physically more in short yardage situations than they did in 2018.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some old fogy with an archaic view of the good old days of “you pass to score, you run to win!” I am also not advocating the Steelers go to a “three yards and cloud of dust” offensive philosophy or that they even run and pass equally. All of those ideas are outdated and football is indeed a passing game these days, and given the way the rules are, it always will be.

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The steelers need maybe more balance but at the same time,the steelers had many other problem as the field position(last in the NFL on offense)the defense,the kicking game and others things.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I think with each facet of the game stepping up a little

1) defense should be the biggest step up as MOST was invested to it

2). Although ST had the lowest rank, they need to step it up a whole hell of a lot. Being 27th ranked and no coaching change is a hell of an eye sore if they don't improve. Bubbles cheek best do something or he needs to be fired even if in the middle of the season.

3). The offense needs the step up for replacement of 1/2 of the meMEme twins. I think we can do it nicely and effectively. I see this unit as the strongest of the three.

4) wild card unit.......COACHING. They need a considerable authoritive step up. No looking back and say could-A should-A would-A. Make or break / replacement type season.


The STEELERS have a lot of the pieces in place so now it's just a matter of honing and placing it into affect. Obviously I see 19-0 but let's let the season play out some and enjoy the ride.



Salute the nation

 

[oicu8ad]

The offense will be fine. I think the WR group will surprise many. Just score baby. **** balance, just take what they give you and attack the weakness. This is the problem though because Tomlin does not attack the weakness, he follows his plan regardless.

Defense is key. My thoughts.

CB - improved - Nelson
Safety - improved - Edmonds with a year under his belt
ILB - improved - We've got Bush (and Barron). Last years unit was pure dog ****.
OLB - push to slight improvement - continued improvement from Watt, and Ola at backup (hopefully taking Bud's spot).
DL - push

 

[Steelersfan43]

The offense will be fine. I think the WR group will surprise many. Just score baby. **** balance, just take what they give you and attack the weakness. This is the problem though because Tomlin does not attack the weakness, he follows his plan regardless.

Defense is key. My thoughts.

CB - improved - Nelson
Safety - improved - Edmonds with a year under his belt
ILB - improved - We've got Bush (and Barron). Last years unit was pure dog ****.
OLB - push to slight improvement - continued improvement from Watt, and Ola at backup (hopefully taking Bud's spot).
DL - push

My concern on defense is that Butler is once again an idiot to put one of our LB on a opposing WR ... It's even worse when he put one of our linebacker against the best WR of the other team like Keenan Allen, AJ Green, Mike Evans, Michael Thomas and many others .... It's so frustrating that I can break my TV because of Keith Butler!

It's important to put the players in situations to have success ... I hope the reason that the steelers havemade a trade up for Bush is not because to cover a WR, otherwise it will be a big disaster. ..Even the great Ray Lewis would have been bad in his situations at his peak!

 

[Ironcitysteelers]

Last year imo (and I said it early) they killed JC. Too much went through him with little spells for being (for the most part) his first full year as the man. Come the end of the season you could tell, he was just spent and then the injuries creeped in.

 

[Steelersfan43]

Last year imo (and I said it early) they killed JC. Too much went through him with little spells for being (for the most part) his first full year as the man. Come the end of the season you could tell, he was just spent and then the injuries creeped in.

It was a factor ... Hopefully this year, Tomlin will keep Conner fresh for the entire games and also the entire season now he knows he can trust Samuels.

 

[ark steel]

The don't NEED offensive balance to make the playoffs. Bluntly put, they were blatantly cheated out of two likely wins.

They don't even need significantly better D play. They need better D play and more consistency on D.

As oic put it, on paper, our D looks better than last year. The speed we were missing is there at ILB, the #2 CB should be better, and the safeties both have a year under their belt at their positions. Vince can play his game and that makes the run D better. Watt shouldn't have to drop into coverage which makes the pass rush better.

 

[43Hitman]

The don't NEED offensive balance to make the playoffs. Bluntly put, they were blatantly cheated out of two likely wins.

They don't even need significantly better D play. They need better D play and more consistency on D.

As oic put it, on paper, our D looks better than last year. The speed we were missing is there at ILB, the #2 CB should be better, and the safeties both have a year under their belt at their positions. Vince can play his game and that makes the run D better. Watt shouldn't have to drop into coverage which makes the pass rush better.

I think that a big part of our scheme puts Watt in coverage quite a bit. Personally I don't mind him or Bud dropping into coverage while our ILB's buzz the underneath quick routes.

 

[Ironcitysteelers]

Bud needs to get watt water when he needs it.

 

[Ironcitysteelers]

A couple things for me for the O.

1. Do more with the TEs. We got a run game where is olayaction.

2. Last year too many times BB was trying to force it to #meshaw and it cost us. Open dudes and go.

3. Coaching.

The offense will be fine. A slight uptick in Def were golden.

 

[43Hitman]

I don't get all the hate for Bud, he is a solid starter and can be relied upon. Not all late first round picks are going to be super stars.

 

[Vader]

The offense wasn't the problem last year and won't be the problem this year. The problem was defense, STs, and coaching. You can fix two of those.

 

[slashsteel]

Bud needs to get watt water when he needs it.

They need to get a third capable pass rusher they can rotate in. Hopefully Ola is that player.

 

[ark steel]

I think that a big part of our scheme puts Watt in coverage quite a bit. Personally I don't mind him or Bud dropping into coverage while our ILB's buzz the underneath quick routes.

I think it was a scheme based on necessity. Watt had the athleticism our ILBs didn't. Bud, too.

 

[BLITZ]

I was thinking about this a lot.. I think we just need to score more points than our opponent. .

 

[Steeler]

ST has got to be better. Absolutely killed us last year.
Tomlin has too much talent at the RB position to run the wheels off of Conner. Give the guy a breather!

 

[slashsteel]

I was thinking about this a lot.. I think we just need to score more points than our opponent. .

And how do you do that? By creating more turnovers and reducing the turnovers given up.

The biggest key to the season................