Chris Long, in response in reaction to Najee’s comments about the predictability of the offense, said what we all know. Tomlin and his coaching staff have not designed an offensive game plan to take advantage of any of the talent on the roster, to develop a winning QB, or to win games in the playoffs.
He went on to describe how obvious it is that opposing defenses know what’s coming when the Steelers snap the ball. It’s clear as day. Nothing about this offense is designed to push the ball downfield, and it must be frustrating the players on offense and defense.
I’m going to push back on this. The Steelers have had the highest floor in the NFL since the 1970s, so they didn’t “trade” anything for it. It’s been there for as long as any of us have been alive. It just so happens that the ceiling has been lowered in the short term.
The Steelers did not sacrifice much for Kenny Pickett. They didn’t trade up to draft him, and his contract isn’t some stone around the team’s neck, so if he’s not the QB of the future, then moving on from him will be easy, especially since the rest of the team has improved. Besides, the GM who drafted Pickett is retired now, so the new GM doesn’t have to stand by him.
The only critical mistake the Steelers have made in the post-Roethlisberger era is keeping Matt Canada a year longer than they should have, but he’ll be easy to move on from too.