When Deshaun Watson is healthy, the Browns are a formidable AFC North foe, especially when traveling to Cleveland. The Steelers know this. While Pittsburgh's record entering the game claimed they were 6-3, there is no bigger fraud in the NFL than Mike Tomlin's bunch.
The offense stinks. The play calling stinks. The offensive line can't pass protect. And even the highest-paid defense in football was showing some cracks due to injuries at key positions, like safety and inside linebacker.
Still, the Steelers were expected to win, in large part due to a season-ending injury suffered by Watson. Perhaps the Pittsburgh fanbase didn't give Cleveland enough credit for building a competitive team around Deshaun, especially defensively.
When this Pittsburgh team loses, they lose bad. When they win, it leaves a bad taste in the mouths of fans across the country. The Steelers lost 13-10 to Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a rookie out of UCLA, on Sunday. The offense was abysmal, which essentially makes up the entirety of this list.
Changes should be made, but they won't. That's the Tomlin standard.
Pittsburgh Steelers need to bench Kenny Pickett, and soon
Sadly, this one is unlikely to come to fruition anytime soon. The Steelers have invested far too much of their reputation on Kenny Pickett's development. Still, the young signal-caller struggled to surpass 100 yards passing for the second straight week. He has just six passing touchdowns on the season and is a liability offensively. The only reason Matt Canada's offense has looked at all effective this season is the running game. Pickett has done little to help in that department.
Benching a quarterback in just his second season with a poor play-caller is rarely a wise choice. This is why Pickett is likely to receive another chance in 2024 with a new offensive coordinator. Canada hasn't helped Pickett's development, and ultimately the two are tied together, for better or worse.
But believe it or not, Steelers fans are a smart bunch, and they know good quarterback play. Pickett is not that guy. He is not fit to replace Ben Roethlisberger. A change is coming, even if Pittsburgh football fans have to wait until 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers need to bench Najee Harris
I've got nothing against Najee Harris as a running back. He has a role in this offense, especially as it's forced into a run-heavy scheme because of Pickett's inability to stretch the field. There should be plenty of carries available for Harris down the line.
But...did anyone else watch Jaylen Warren on Sunday? Warren has routinely looked like the better and more explosive runner. A 70-plus yard touchdown against the Browns -- arguably the only offensive bright spot for this team -- should've been enough to get Warren more carries to end the game. Instead, he received just five after that run, and none over the team's final two drives. That's on Canada, but more on him later.
Harris was vocal regarding the Steelers offense after the game, which won't help his cause with Tomlin, who seems to think nothing is wrong with his team.
"You can do one of two things. You can look at the record and say, Ok we're still good right now or you can look at the record and say if we keep playing this football how long is that s*** going to last," Harris said postgame.
For those in need of a reminder, Steelers right tackle Chuks Okorafor was benched for making degrading comments about the offense just a few weeks ago. Is a similar treatment coming for Harris?
Pittsburgh Steelers need to bench Dan Moore Jr.
Granted, it was always going to be a tough assignment for Dan Moore Jr. Facing Myles Garrett is no easy task, and the Browns All-Pro made Moore look like a revolving door frequently on Sunday.
Moore has maintained his starting left tackle status over Broderick Jones all season long minus a game in which he was injured. During Moore's absence, Jones looked like a starting-caliber left tackle. Heck, it's the position he was drafted to play. Yet, Tomlin and Canada continue to be stubborn with Jones, instead playing him at right tackle for Chuks Okorafor, who was benched a few weeks ago.
Jones has played well at right tackle, which shows the talent he really has. Jones doesn't just look the part, he could be one of the elite tackles in the NFL if given the opportunity. Sure, there will be rough spots, but playing him out of position is no way to aid his development.
Moore Jr. has been rated as one of the worst left tackles in the league by Pro Football Focus. I am not alone in my criticism. At this point, Jones should be breathing down his neck, and the Steelers lack of pass protection for Pickett isn't helping matters.
Matt Canada has cemented his firing after the Steelers season
Matt Canada isn't alone in his wrongdoing with the Steelers offense. However, he is the one running the show, so he's unlikely to survive heading into 2024. Tomlin has remained loyal to Canada, insisting that the on-field product will improve as the season goes along. We're heading into Week 12, and Pittsburgh has been out-gained in every game but one -- and that one was this 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns without their starting quarterback.
Canada seems to have figured out the rushing scheme, which is an improvement. However, he refused to give Jaylen Warren consistent carries after his game-breaking 70-plus yard rushing touchdown. Najee Harris remains the lead back despite Warren proving himself time and time again.
The passing game, of course, is abysmal and arguably the worst in the NFL. The Browns offense looked more explosive on Sunday behind third-string rookie passer Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Pickett has taken a step back in his second season at the helm with Canada. That was not supposed to happen.
Pickett receives plenty of blame alongside Canada, but ultimately the offensive coordinator's future was tied to the Pitt product's development. Pickett's failure is Canada's failure, for better or worse.
