The preseason is simply that — the preseason.

Nonetheless, of their 23-point, season-opening loss to San Francisco 49ers, the Pittsburgh Steelers rarely resembled the staff that went 3-0 within the preseason video games, or the offense that seamlessly moved the ball, albeit in opposition to under-manned warring parties.

The Steelers’ offense scored simply seven issues, marking the 5th generation of their terminating 8 ordinary season video games they’ve failed to attain a minimum of 20 issues. The protection didn’t fare significantly better, given up 4 directly ratings to the 49ers on their first 4 possessions.

By means of Sunday evening, the hype educate that continuously picked up velocity all through coaching camp and the preseason began to veer off the rails then one tournament. Is it generation to panic? Completely now not. There are fields of outrage — however there’s additionally plethora of reason why to consider the Steelers can get again heading in the right direction, starting with Monday evening’s tournament in opposition to the Cleveland Browns.

Purpose for fear Deny. 1: The secondary

The Steelers let cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Arthur Maulet progress within the offseason, however gave the impression to plug the outlet via signing Patrick Peterson, drafting Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr. and signing nickels Chandon Sullivan and Elijah Riley. Next one tournament, even though, the early go back on Peterson isn’t moderately what the Steelers was hoping. Regardless of pronouncing on his podcast previous to the sport that Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense had tells that will aid him to an interception,

Peterson used to be in protection on either one of Purdy’s landing throws. As reliable as Peterson is as a trainer within the storage room and as a veteran within the assembly room, he used to be a legal responsibility now and then at the ground and incessantly a step sluggish. On Purdy’s first landing, vast receiver Brandon Aiyuk beat Peterson coming around the finish zone, and so as to add insult to trauma, Peterson slipped at the direction, giving Aiyuk much more territory to create the play games. As a unit, the Steelers gave up 220 yards.

The silver lining: Porter can play games extra

Giving the rookie extra snaps doesn’t clear up the condition, however it would put the cornerbacks in a greater place to guard receivers. Porter performed simply 10.6% of protection snaps to Peterson’s 98.5%. Porter goes to have rising pains, however he’s dynamic and confirmed a knack for making performs at the ball in coaching camp and within the preseason, the place he had an interception in his first tournament motion.

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Purpose for fear Deny. 2: Run protection

Christian McCaffrey ran far and wide the Steelers’ protection, and it doesn’t get more straightforward in Hour 2 when the Steelers’ host Nick Chubb or Hour 3 after they proceed to Las Vegas to satisfy Josh Jacobs. McCaffrey received 152 yards on 22 carries, averaging 6.9 yards in line with raise — and ripped off a 65-yard landing run to viewable the second one part. The Steelers ranked thirty first in speeding yards over anticipated, in line with NFL Upcoming Gen Stats, permitting 55 yards greater than anticipated, in step with the complex metrics.

Compounding the problem is a groin trauma to defensive captain Cameron Heyward. The Steelers are making ready to be with out him for an important quantity of generation, resources instructed ESPN. The defensive series used to be some of the inner most place teams in camp, however Heyward is the type of presence that may require a couple of gamers to interchange him. Rookie defensive take on Keeanu Benton in conjunction with second-year defensive ends Isaiahh Loudermilk and DeMarvin Leal are the supremacy contenders for expanded roles.

It additionally doesn’t aid that Larry Ogunjobi, some of the staff’s largest wins in distant company, began out the season hampered via a lingering substructure trauma. Despite the fact that he used to be restricted in observe well-known as much as Hour 1, he nonetheless performed 62% of snaps. For what it’s utility, inside of linebacker Kwon Alexander stated Monday a part of the protection’s condition can also be solved via higher tackling.

“We just had to finish plays, man,” Alexander stated. “Just finish tackles. It wasn’t nothing too crazy about it. We just got to tackle. That’s the only thing. We got all the pieces we need to be the best that we want to be. So all we got to do is just go out there and just finish.”

The silver-lining: Elandon Roberts used to be a thumper

Roberts performed not up to part of the defensive snaps, however he recorded two tackles for loss and used to be the Steelers’ absolute best series of protection in opposition to McCaffrey. And even though the take on wishes growth, Alexander stated he used to be happy with the conversation between the brandnew team of inside of linebackers and the remains of the protection.

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Purpose for fear Deny. 3: Run tournament

The Steelers have been planned concerning the preseason plan for Najee Harris, conserving him from bodily touch so he can be as untouched as conceivable within the ordinary season. Neatly, Harris will have to nonetheless be plethora untouched then getting simply six carries and two goals in opposition to the 49ers. The Steelers simplest ran the ball 10 instances for 41 yards. The largest factor, Tomlin stated in a while, used to be the rarity of conversion on 3rd right down to maintain drives and provides the offense extra alternatives to get the run tournament going. The Steelers ran 61 performs to the 49ers’ 66, however transformed simply 5 of 15 3rd downs and 1 of three fourth downs.

“It’s just that you don’t have enough snaps, man,” Tomlin stated. “You are going three-and-out. You can talk about run game but the run game issues were not enough snaps, but we were three and out. We got to win the weighty downs. Everyone has to win the weighty downs. That’s the lifeblood of ball possession and we didn’t do a good enough job today on either side but particularly how we started offensively, not good.”

The silver lining: It will have to simplest get more straightforward from right here

Proper? Possibly? Sure, that is the NFL, and each and every occasion is its personal distinctive problem, however the 49ers had the NFL’s absolute best run protection a yr in the past. As a staff, the 49ers held warring parties to a few.4 yards in line with raise, attach for the league’s lowest with the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers run tournament were given off to a sluggish get started a yr in the past, too, however via the tip of the season, Harris and Jaylen Warren evolved right into a complementary tandem. All over their 7-2 end to the 2022 season, the Steelers in a bind for over 100 yards in 8 of 9 video games.

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Purpose for fear Deny. 4: Kenny Pickett’s accuracy and ground optical

Pickett used to be remarkably correct all over coaching camp and the preseason, throwing just a handful of interceptions all over coaching camp. The second one-year quarterback and his offense have been unanimous that the crowd used to be farther forward in finding out the offense and in being a cohesive unit on the finish of this coaching camp than they have been a yr in the past. Pickett’s coaches praised his poise and move in mastering the offense.

But in opposition to the 49ers, Pickett used to be a shell of the assured, correct quarterback who led the offense to 5 touchdowns in 5 preseason drives. Now not simplest used to be Pickett erroneous, however he additionally lacked the downfield optical to peer viewable receivers. He overlooked all 4 of his makes an attempt of greater than 20 breeze yards and finished simply 5 of 10 intermediate makes an attempt between 10-19 breeze yards. Within the preseason, Pickett finished each makes an attempt of greater than 20 breeze yards and four of five between 10-19 breeze yards.

“We just didn’t execute, honestly,” Pickett stated. “I think it was more us than them. I felt comfortable with what I was seeing, what they were doing. We just didn’t execute.”

Regardless of heralding their offensive brotherly love all over coaching camp, Pickett and tight finish Pat Freiermuth have been on other pages for his or her fourth-down miscue that led to a yield on downs within the crimson zone.

“That happens,” Pickett stated. “Pat saw one way. I saw it the other way. It needs to be a fix, but obviously you put a lot of time in but we will get it right. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about us staying together, playing balanced football, being able to do what we put a lot of time in to do.”

The silver lining: Pickett’s growth then the 2022 bye

Pickett started his tenure because the Steelers’ forming quarterback with 8 interceptions in 5 video games, however he simplest threw one in his ultimate 8 video games. Pickett used to be additionally at his absolute best within the two-minute offense earlier than halftime, orchestrating a 95-yard scoring pressure and taking a look extra just like the quarterback that led two game-winning drives past due within the 2022 season. The ones closest to Pickett level to his psychological toughness as some of the intangibles that create him a skilled quarterback, and he’ll have a possibility to turn out it with how he responds to this tournament.