Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin could do without any distractions as he and his team muddle through an offensive funk that contributed heavily to their three losses in the past four games.
But the lack of answers has taken a toll on both their record and on the players — most notably wide receiver George Pickens.
Pickens, the Steelers’ leading receiver, has allowed his frustrations to show during several games, enough to draw Mike Tomlin’s attention.
On Monday, Mike Tomlin called Pickens’ outward displays of emotion a “problem” and said he would like the second-year pro to find a different way to vent his concerns.
“It’s a problem because it’s not solution-based,” Mike Tomlin said during his Monday press conference. “You know we are all frustrated, but we got to manage our frustrations in a professional, mature way.”
The Steelers, who rank 26th in total offense, have failed to score more than 20 points in a game over the same time frame.
Last Thursday, Pittsburgh’s offensive woes reached a new low in a 21-18 home loss to the New England Patriots. With Mitchell Trubisky making his first start at quarterback for the injured Kenny Pickett, the Steelers mustered only 264 yards of offense.
The situation might get worse before it improves. Pickett, who injured his ankle during their Week 14 loss to Arizona, has already been ruled out for Saturday’s game at Indianapolis, meaning Trubisky will get his second straight start.
George Pickens showing how he feels
Pickens, a second-round draft pick in 2022 out of Georgia, caught five passes for only 19 yards and was visibly upset on more than one occasion during the loss to the Patriots.
Pickens’ frustration manifested itself both on the field and on the sidelines. On at least one running play, he gave little to no effort in terms of run blocking, and it led to Tomlin having words with his young receiver when he came off the field.
The Steelers, who have been searching for offensive consistency all season, fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada on Nov. 21, two days after losing to the Cleveland Browns, 13-10.
Tomlin handed the play-calling reins to quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, yet the move has failed to jump-start the Steelers’ attack. In the meantime, Pickens, who leads the team in receptions (49), targets (84), receiving yards (767) and TD catches (five), has gotten more agitated with each passing week.
While Pickens has three 100-yard receiving game this season, the last one came two months ago — on Oct. 8 against Baltimore.
Despite their recent struggles, the Steelers would still be the No. 6 seed in the AFC if their season ended today. After playing the Colts on Saturday, Pittsburgh finish the regular season with games against Cincinnati, Seattle and Baltimore.
How can Mike Tomlin fix the offense?
Getting Pickett back soon might help, but the second-year quarterback — ranked 27th in QB rating — was as much a part of the problem as he was the solution before he got hurt.
And there’s no telling how much more a talented, young player like Pickens might act out his frustrations if the Steelers’ offensive struggles linger and he’s unable to make explosive plays.
Tomlin was asked Monday about the possibility of inserting Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback, but he balked at the move and will instead continue with Trubisky until Pickett is ready to return to the field.
Tomlin, now in his 16th season as Steelers head coach, needs to find some answers among his in-house options or risk not making the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and while Tomlin has had unrivaled job security as only the franchise’s third head coach since 1969, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s immune to being fired or leaving for a job with another NFL team.