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3 Takeaways from Steelers' Week 5 Loss vs. Bills
KRISTOPHER KNOX
OCTOBER 10, 2022
The Pittsburgh Steelers gave rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett his first career start on Sunday against a Buffalo Bills team that might be the most complete in the AFC. The result was what many expected but not at all what Steelers fans were hoping to see.
Pickett failed to provide much of an offensive spark, the defense was a sieve and Pittsburgh suffered the most lopsided loss in recent memory. The 35-point margin was the worst since the Steelers lost 51-0 to the Cleveland Browns back in 1989.
Buffalo is a title contender, and Pittsburgh is not. The loss isn't the surprise here. The shock came from seeing a Mike Tomlin-coached team fail to play competitively at any point in the game.
The season isn't over at 1-4, but Sunday's defeat showed that the Steelers are a second-tier team at best. Here's what else we learned from Pittsburgh's 38-3 loss to Buffalo in Week 5.
Najee Harris Might Not Be as Special as We Thought
1 OF 3
We could talk about Pickett's rough day (34-of-52 for 327 yards, 1 INT), but there's little to take away from that. Any rookie playing on the road against a terrific Buffalo defense is likely to struggle.
The bigger takeaway offensively is that Pittsburgh just isn't getting enough out of running back Najee Harris. In games like this, the Steelers need to be able to support Pickett with at least a respectable rushing attack. Harris averaged 1.8 yards per carry with a long of six.
Now, Buffalo did come in allowing just 3.5 yards per carry, and running was always going to be a challenge. However, Harris has been disappointing all season.
The second-year back came in averaging just 3.5 yards per carry with a long of 16. He has one rushing touchdown on the season and only 13 receptions through five weeks. It's been a far cry from what we saw last year (74 receptions, 1,667 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs).
Harris was a Pro Bowler as a rookie and, at times, appeared to be a franchise-caliber back who could carry the offense in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the Alabama product may be closer to Trent Richardson than Derrick Henry.
Richardson was also impressive as a rookie back in 2012, finishing with 1,317 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns. Like Harris, though, he averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in his first season. Cleveland traded him in year two, and Richardson only lasted three seasons in the NFL.
Harris probably won't flame out hard as Richardson did, but his rookie success may have been a mirage.
T.J. Watt Isn't Going to Save This Defense
2 OF 3
The Steelers didn't get any favors from their defense in this game. Buffalo racked up 552 yards of offense, went 5-of-9 on third down and didn't punt until the fourth quarter. The Bills moved quickly down the field too, tallying 38 points despite holding the ball for less than 24 minutes.
While Bills quarterback Josh Allen (424 yards, 4 TDs) did throw one interception, he was not sacked. Buffalo averaged 6.7 yards per carry in the ground game.
The Bills offense is loaded with talent, but Pittsburgh's struggle to slow it continued to highlight a disappointing reality. This defense is bad. While the Steelers came in ranked 15th in points allowed, they ranked 24th in run defense, 21st in pass defense and 24th in total defense.
The defense was dealt a major blow in Week 1 when reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt suffered a torn pectoral. Watt is expected to return this season, but according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Adam Schefter, that return will be delayed by arthroscopic knee surgery.
The Steelers may want to seriously consider letting Watt just rest and recover for the rest of the season. While Pittsburgh does have quality defensive players—like Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick—the unit as a whole is incapable of carrying this team. The defense would be better with Watt on the field, but the 27-year-old isn't going to reforge the Steel Curtain with his return.
The Steelers Know That This Is a Transition Year
3 OF 3
This is actually a takeaway from mid-week, when the Steelers announced that Pickett would start over Mitch Trubisky. Pickett replaced Trubisky at halftime against the New York Jets last week, but head coach Mike Tomlin could have painted that decision as a grasp for a spark and gone back to the veteran for Week 5.
He didn't, and it speaks volumes. A Bills' first-ranked defense that features the likes of Gregory Rousseau and Von Miller is not ideal for a starting debut. Next week's game against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense won't be much easier.
It's clear that the Steelers aren't looking to ease in Pickett and want to see what he can do right away. That wouldn't be the case if Pittsburgh believed it had a chance of contending in 2022. The way the last four games have gone, the Steelers feel more likely to end up with a top-five draft selection than a playoff berth.
The Steelers have never experienced a losing season under Tomlin, but it's likely to happen this year, and the front office knows it. This is a transition season, and changes other than the one at quarterback may be coming.
"You play like we played today, you've got to be open to doing whatever is required to change the outcome of these games," Tomlin said, per CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo.
And the Steelers need to get a long look at Pickett because if the losing continues, they may have a shot at a prospect like C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in the 2023 draft. Would new GM Omar Khan draft a first-round quarterback a year after the Steelers took Pickett? That depends entirely on how the rookie progresses over the final 12 weeks.
3 Takeaways from Steelers' Week 5 Loss vs. Bills
KRISTOPHER KNOX
OCTOBER 10, 2022
The Pittsburgh Steelers gave rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett his first career start on Sunday against a Buffalo Bills team that might be the most complete in the AFC. The result was what many expected but not at all what Steelers fans were hoping to see.
Pickett failed to provide much of an offensive spark, the defense was a sieve and Pittsburgh suffered the most lopsided loss in recent memory. The 35-point margin was the worst since the Steelers lost 51-0 to the Cleveland Browns back in 1989.
Buffalo is a title contender, and Pittsburgh is not. The loss isn't the surprise here. The shock came from seeing a Mike Tomlin-coached team fail to play competitively at any point in the game.
The season isn't over at 1-4, but Sunday's defeat showed that the Steelers are a second-tier team at best. Here's what else we learned from Pittsburgh's 38-3 loss to Buffalo in Week 5.
Najee Harris Might Not Be as Special as We Thought
1 OF 3
We could talk about Pickett's rough day (34-of-52 for 327 yards, 1 INT), but there's little to take away from that. Any rookie playing on the road against a terrific Buffalo defense is likely to struggle.
The bigger takeaway offensively is that Pittsburgh just isn't getting enough out of running back Najee Harris. In games like this, the Steelers need to be able to support Pickett with at least a respectable rushing attack. Harris averaged 1.8 yards per carry with a long of six.
Now, Buffalo did come in allowing just 3.5 yards per carry, and running was always going to be a challenge. However, Harris has been disappointing all season.
The second-year back came in averaging just 3.5 yards per carry with a long of 16. He has one rushing touchdown on the season and only 13 receptions through five weeks. It's been a far cry from what we saw last year (74 receptions, 1,667 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs).
Harris was a Pro Bowler as a rookie and, at times, appeared to be a franchise-caliber back who could carry the offense in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the Alabama product may be closer to Trent Richardson than Derrick Henry.
Richardson was also impressive as a rookie back in 2012, finishing with 1,317 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns. Like Harris, though, he averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in his first season. Cleveland traded him in year two, and Richardson only lasted three seasons in the NFL.
Harris probably won't flame out hard as Richardson did, but his rookie success may have been a mirage.
T.J. Watt Isn't Going to Save This Defense
2 OF 3
The Steelers didn't get any favors from their defense in this game. Buffalo racked up 552 yards of offense, went 5-of-9 on third down and didn't punt until the fourth quarter. The Bills moved quickly down the field too, tallying 38 points despite holding the ball for less than 24 minutes.
While Bills quarterback Josh Allen (424 yards, 4 TDs) did throw one interception, he was not sacked. Buffalo averaged 6.7 yards per carry in the ground game.
The Bills offense is loaded with talent, but Pittsburgh's struggle to slow it continued to highlight a disappointing reality. This defense is bad. While the Steelers came in ranked 15th in points allowed, they ranked 24th in run defense, 21st in pass defense and 24th in total defense.
The defense was dealt a major blow in Week 1 when reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt suffered a torn pectoral. Watt is expected to return this season, but according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Adam Schefter, that return will be delayed by arthroscopic knee surgery.
The Steelers may want to seriously consider letting Watt just rest and recover for the rest of the season. While Pittsburgh does have quality defensive players—like Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick—the unit as a whole is incapable of carrying this team. The defense would be better with Watt on the field, but the 27-year-old isn't going to reforge the Steel Curtain with his return.
The Steelers Know That This Is a Transition Year
3 OF 3
This is actually a takeaway from mid-week, when the Steelers announced that Pickett would start over Mitch Trubisky. Pickett replaced Trubisky at halftime against the New York Jets last week, but head coach Mike Tomlin could have painted that decision as a grasp for a spark and gone back to the veteran for Week 5.
He didn't, and it speaks volumes. A Bills' first-ranked defense that features the likes of Gregory Rousseau and Von Miller is not ideal for a starting debut. Next week's game against a tough Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense won't be much easier.
It's clear that the Steelers aren't looking to ease in Pickett and want to see what he can do right away. That wouldn't be the case if Pittsburgh believed it had a chance of contending in 2022. The way the last four games have gone, the Steelers feel more likely to end up with a top-five draft selection than a playoff berth.
The Steelers have never experienced a losing season under Tomlin, but it's likely to happen this year, and the front office knows it. This is a transition season, and changes other than the one at quarterback may be coming.
"You play like we played today, you've got to be open to doing whatever is required to change the outcome of these games," Tomlin said, per CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo.
And the Steelers need to get a long look at Pickett because if the losing continues, they may have a shot at a prospect like C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young in the 2023 draft. Would new GM Omar Khan draft a first-round quarterback a year after the Steelers took Pickett? That depends entirely on how the rookie progresses over the final 12 weeks.
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