For what feels like forever, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been seen as a team in need of WR help. Yet, the team clearly remains confident in its current options aside from DK Metcalf, specifically Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson.
That’s something Bryant McFadden disagrees with. He wanted them to trade for a receiver before the deadline passed, and he thinks the position was a big weakness during Sunday’s loss to the Chargers.
“They don’t have the talent to be able to overcome those mishaps offensively when their quarterback is not at his best. He [Aaron Rodgers] completed 48 percent of his passes. That’s not Aaron Rodgers,” McFadden said Sunday on CBS Sports HQ. “Not having another guy at the wide receiver position, when you’re talking about a sense of urgency, and trying to acquire a wide receiver talent, it surfaced in tonight’s matchup. Because when you take DK Metcalf out of the game, who do you trust? Who do you rely on?”
McFadden was loud and clear about his perceived need at the position over the past couple of weeks. But aside from signing Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the Steelers made no real moves. Jakobi Meyers went to Jacksonville, Rashid Shaheed went to Seattle, and Chris Olave stayed put in New Orleans. And through all of it, the Steelers made no big moves.
To be fair to the Steelers, they already have some options. Austin has made his presence felt at times, and Roman Wilson has started to come along in recent weeks as well. He had a nice touchdown late in Sunday’s game, too. And of course, the tight end position is deep.
It’s also important to recognize that Aaron Rodgers played poorly today. The Chargers’ defense came into this game with momentum, but Rodgers missed several throws and had some ugly interceptions. Not only was it his worst game of the season, but it was probably one of the worst throughout his legendary career.
Adding a playmaker could help. But when the Steelers become one-dimensional, partially by their own doing, it’s hard to get another player involved. Especially when the Steelers have WR and TE options who could already use more targets. Now, McFadden is a little worried about the Steelers not being able to hold onto their lead in the AFC North.
“You better be looking in that rearview. Because you have a team right there on your heels. And this is the bed the Pittsburgh Steelers made. Now you have to sleep in it, even if you have no sheets,” McFadden said. “But that’s the current situation, because they’ve been playing with their food.”
It certainly looks much more dicey than it did a few weeks ago. After being 3.5 games ahead of the Ravens when the Steelers were 4-1, they’re now 5-4, and it’s just a one-game advantage. With two matchups between the two still ahead, the Ravens do now control their own destiny in the division, as long as they keep winning.
It’s certainly not a comfortable situation for the Steelers to be in. But McFadden is right, they made this bed. The blame belongs in a couple of different places. McFadden thinks the Steelers’ lack of WR depth is a notable one.
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