After firing their offensive coordinator, it took the Pittsburgh Steelers fifty-eight games and five days to surpass 400 yards of offense.
It led to just one touchdown, but it was enough for the Steelers to fend off the rival Cincinnati Bengals for a crucial 16-10 win on Sunday.
“I’m not attempting to generalize or pretend like I’ve had a major revelation,” Tomlin shared with reporters in his postgame press conference regarding the offense. “We accomplished what was necessary for victory today, and we’ll continue striving.”
Matt Canada was fired on Tuesday and the offense looked far different from the onset Sunday against the Bengals. The biggest takeaway was Pittsburgh producing 421 total yards and snapping a streak of 58 games without 400 yards of offense.
“It’s definitely different,” quarterback Kenny Pickett said. “It’s a new play-caller, so you kind of get used to the flow of how he likes to call things, and that’s something that we are going to continue to kind of iron out. But it felt like every drive, we were having productive drives, moving the ball really well. Some penalty things and a turnover that we wish … you want to take out. That would help us put more puts up. But overall, happy with how those guys played.”
While Pittsburgh’s offense may not have been a masterpiece, it was a testament to the payoff of hard work and visible progress. Despite only amassing a total of 249 yards in their Week 11 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers managed to hit 221 by halftime when facing the Bengals.
In his first game of the season with more than 275 yards, Pickett achieved 278 yards, completing 24 of 33 passes. This broke his four-game streak of attaining 160 or fewer yards.
When asked about Pickett’s performance, Tomlin responded, “We did what was necessary for victory. People like Kenny and me are evaluated on our wins and losses. And we don’t shy away from that. In fact, we embrace it. So, today, both of us are winners.”
Najee Harris had a season-high 99 yards on 15 carries (6.6 yards per attempt) and scored his team’s only touchdown — a 5-yarder in the third quarter.
Before the game, the Steelers were among the lowest five teams in the NFL, with statistics like 4.7 yards per play, 280.1 total yards per game, 15.9 first downs per game, and a time of possession of 27 minutes 37 seconds.
“As I often state, this is the quintessential team game, particularly on offense where everyone’s contribution is crucial,” said Pickett. “The success of the game hinges on all 11 of us working in harmony and being on the same wavelength. We, in the locker room, are thrilled that we emerged victorious. We’re excited to return to Heinz this coming weekend, which will be fantastic to be back home. There are many positive takeaways from this game.”
They exhibited significant improvement in each of those metrics on Sunday: they achieved 6.2 yards per play, amassed 421 yards of offense, secured 22 first downs, and had a season-high possession time of 37:17.
Despite their terrible offensive production, the Steelers (7-4) managed to stay in the game. They didn’t score high on Sunday, but they certainly showcased their best performance under the leadership of coaches Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan.
It remains to be seen if this is just a one-game surge or not, but the Steelers’ revitalized offense and their playoff prospects seem to have a promising path ahead. Pittsburgh will be up against teams with less than .500 records in three of their next four games: they will play against the Arizona Cardinals, the New England Patriots, travel to the Indianapolis Colts, and host the same Bengals at home.
Sunday’s offensive display might not have been beautiful, but looking ahead, the Steelers’ prospects are much more attractive than they were the previous week.
