Pittsburgh Steelers Face Offensive Struggles in Post-Tomlin Era

The Pittsburgh Steelers are navigating a challenging start to their first season without former head coach Mike Tomlin. After securing a straightforward victory against the Atlanta Falcons in their season opener, the team’s performance stumbled with a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 2.

In this recent matchup, the Steelers had difficulty advancing the ball, accumulating only 235 total offensive yards. Running back Jaylen Warren stood out as the sole player gaining more than 44 yards in offense. The lack of offensive power led to sharp criticism from former coach Mike Tomlin during NBC’s ‘Football Night in America.’

“From my perspective, they don’t have a place to hang their hat,” Tomlin stated. “They haven’t established the run, they’re not performing well on third down…and to make matters worse, they’re not getting yards in chunks. Sometimes when you get yards in chunks, it can cover up some other inadequacies. They can’t solve all their problems, but they better solve at least one of these problems — and really soon.”

The disappointment extended beyond Tomlin. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers expressed concerns over the team’s offensive strategy and openly criticized head coach Mike McCarthy for not selecting plays that positioned the Steelers better strategically.

“In a game like today where there wasn’t a lot of flow to it, we need to be better — and it starts with me,” Rodgers said. “[I need to be better about] making sure Mike knows what’s working, what’s not working, our coaches know, and so we can call stuff that we feel like has a better chance (to win).”

Last season, Tomlin’s final year with the team, the Steelers faced injuries but still managed to deliver a more productive offense statistically. His team averaged 316.9 yards and 23.4 points per game. In contrast, under McCarthy, the Steelers are currently averaging 249.5 yards and 11.5 points per game over the first two games of the season.