The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense had a prime opportunity to bounce back in their Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have the worst defense in the NFL, and the Steelers had a solid offensive day against them earlier this season. Unfortunately, they couldn’t repeat that performance. The Steelers’ offense didn’t have a great outing against the Bengals, and Mike Renner believes that unit’s issues aren’t getting fixed.
“I feel like the kind of things I just said about the Chargers and their defense is the same way I feel about the Steelers and their offense,” Renner said recently on his Pushing the Pile podcast. “They’re just not good players walking through this door, unfortunately. There’s no turning it around because it’s going to take guys who have never proven to be good, all of a sudden becoming good.
“It’s going to take any wide receiver developing into a wide receiver two there, and no one has. It’s going to take Broderick Jones learning how to play offensive tackle, and that’s just not in the cards.”
Part of the reason for the Steelers’ offensive struggles in Week 11 was that Aaron Rodgers left the game due to an injury. He missed the entire second half, with Mason Rudolph taking over as the starter.
However, the Steelers’ offense was sputtering even before Rodgers left. Aside from a touchdown on the opening drive and a field goal to end the half, the Steelers’ offense didn’t do anything. It was punt after punt. That’s not good enough against the Bengals, who were allowing 33.4 points per game.
While the scoreboard shows the Steelers with 34 points, their defense scored two touchdowns. The Steelers’ offense only really put up 20 points.
However, that unit did some things right. It isn’t completely awful. The Steelers ran the ball well, posting 111 rushing yards. They also didn’t turn the ball over, and Darnell Washington took more steps forward as a pass catcher.
Do the Steelers have issues on offense? Yes, but they can still win despite those flaws. Their defense has improved in recent weeks, giving them a nice boost. This is a similar formula that the Steelers have often used to win games. They play great on defense, create turnovers, and do just enough to skate by on offense.
At this point in the season, that probably isn’t going to change. Depending on Rodgers’ health, though, the Steelers’ offense might have to make adjustments. It’s been good enough to keep them on top of the AFC North, and hopefully, that continues.
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