3 Takeaways from Steelers' Week 2 Loss
The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the 2022 season with an impressive overtime road win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the defending AFC champions. However, they didn't carry that momentum into their home opener in Week 2.
On Sunday, the Steelers fell 17-14 to the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh struggled to get much going on offense, as it had only 243 total yards and committed two turnovers during a game in which it never had a lead.
With 14 minutes and 58 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, the Steelers cut the Pats' lead to 17-14 on Mitch Trubisky's 8-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth and the ensuing two-point conversion (a Trubisky pass to Diontae Johnson). But those were the final points of the contest.
Here are three takeaways from Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss.
It's Not Too Early to Consider a QB Change
It's only been two games, but Trubisky hasn't done a great job of leading the Steelers' offense thus far. On Sunday, he went 21-for-33 for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception. And while those aren't terrible numbers, it wasn't a winning performance for the 28-year-old quarterback.
Trubisky couldn't get Pittsburgh in position to either tie the game or take the lead late. The Steelers' final two drives were both three-and-outs in which they had a combined 12 yards.
"We can be better at everything," Trubisky said, per NFL.com's Michael Baca. "I can be better with decision making. We had some missed opportunities with missed throws. We had a couple where we weren't on the same page. Bottom line, we've got to score more points."
Pittsburgh might score more points if it starts rookie Kenny Pickett. While Trubisky and the offense struggled to move the ball downfield, Steelers fans were already chanting Pickett's name on Sunday.
It may be wise for the Steelers to make a QB switch soon to see if Pickett can give their offense a needed spark, especially because he's likely to be their franchise quarterback moving forward.
Watt's Absence Was Greatly Felt on Defense
Take away the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and the Steelers' defense isn't as strong. That shouldn't have been a surprise, considering linebacker T.J. Watt is one of the best edge rushers in the league and a leader for the unit in Pittsburgh.
Watt is currently on injured reserve due to a torn pectoral muscle that he suffered in Week 1. Without him, the Steelers struggled to put any pressure on Patriots quarterback Mac Jones on Sunday, recording no sacks and only three QB hits.
“We’ve just got to be better,” Pittsburgh linebacker Alex Highsmith said, per Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We’ve got to have more of an attack mindset and get off blocks better. ... I know the type of front we can be. It’s just on us as a whole, just to be able to get there.”
Because Watt is on IR, he's going to miss at least three more games (if not more). So the Steelers will need to find a way to generate more pressure without him. Otherwise, it will be easier for opposing quarterbacks to have success against them.
On Sunday, Jones went 21-for-35 for 252 yards, one touchdown and one interception. New England also had 376 total yards.
The AFC North Could Be Wide Open This Year
The season is only two weeks old, so a lot could change between now and January. But it sure seems like the AFC North is going to be wide open and that any of the four teams could end up as the division champion.
The Steelers are off to a 1-1 start, as are the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals, who won the AFC North last year, are 0-2.
Pittsburgh already has a 1-0 division record after beating Cincinnati in Week 1. And it will look to beat another one of its rivals in Week 3 when it goes on the road to take on Cleveland.
In order for the Steelers to contend for the AFC North title, they may need to get back on track the next two weeks in winnable matchups against the Browns and New York Jets. After that, they have a challenging four-game stretch in which they'll take on the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles.
But the AFC North may not be quite as stout as it has been in the past, as all four teams lost in Week 2. So the Steelers may have a chance to stick around in the race for first place for quite a while.