The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a game they had every opportunity to win in Miami on Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins. The final score was 16-10, and neither team scored a point in the second half of the contest. The Steelers fell to 2-5 on the season, further threatening the Steelers’ history of no losing seasons since 2003.
The immediate future doesn’t seem promising either. Pittsburgh has another tough matchup in Week 8 as they travel to Philadelphia to face the undefeated Eagles in an in-state showdown.
In this article, we outline three key takeaways from the Steelers’ loss in Week 7.
Kenny Pickett is still raw
As mentioned, Pittsburgh had numerous opportunities to win this game. Yet, Kenny Pickett seemed to routinely miss these opportunities. Pickett made mistakes, sometimes egregious, that stymied potential game-winning drives. First, he threw a wobbly pass into coverage that was intercepted with about three minutes left in the game.
The Steelers’ defense held up after this play, featuring a near-interception on third down. Pickett got another opportunity with about two minutes left. He then made his worst mistake of the night. Pickett threw a game-clinching interception that was so poorly underthrown it looked as if he was trying to throw it to Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene.
Overall, statistically, Pickett had an average outing, but his statistics (such as his completion rate) seem to be somewhat inflated by the fact that he is playing with a high-level receiving corps and by the Steelers’ conservative offensive system.
Pickett is raw, and that is why the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky in the offseason. The Steelers hoped turning the starting role over to their rookie quarterback might be the shot in the arm the offense needed, but the shot hasn’t provided much immunity to the Steelers’ pervasive issues on the offensive side of the football.
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Pittsburgh Steelers should feel comfortable trading a WR
George Pickens is the real deal. His touchdown grab, the Steelers’ lone touchdown in the game, was incredible and is just the latest flashing of his high-level pass-catching abilities.
The Steelers have found a long-term pass catcher at tight end with Pat Freiermuth and have a host of talented wide receivers — Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and Pickens. However, the Steelers need an infusion of talent on the offensive front and have many needs to address on the defense.
Claypool’s name has been floated in trade rumors as the NFL trade deadline approaches. If the Steelers could get fair compensation, it’d be worthwhile to trade him away and use the potential draft pick compensation to address some of the team’s more significant issues.
Generally, the emergence of Pickens as a legitimate starter has made this option viable.
Matt Canada should be done as Steelers offensive cooordinator
To place sole blame on Kenny Pickett for the Steelers’ offensive struggles is to fail to understand the full picture. Matt Canada’s offense is not working. The team’s failure to score points is not a new problem, but it was highlighted on national television in the second half of the game as the defense continued to hold strong while the offense failed to realize not only points but significant plays in general.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to defend Canada’s leadership of the offense with each passing week. While the Steelers might be inclined to let the season play out and address the offensive coordinator position in the offseason, firing Canada is appropriate accountability for such poor offensive play and would showcase the Steelers’ commitment to a winning culture.
Frankly, whomever were to take over as an interim option in his stead couldn’t fare much worse.
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