The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of many NFL’s worst — and dullest — offensive groups over the previous six years, and one of many gamers leaving the group this offseason supplied a very regarding criticism about what the staff is doing on that facet of the ball. Or extra precisely, what it’s not doing.
In an interview with KCAL, operating again Najee Harris, who signed a one-year deal in free company with the Los Angeles Chargers, talked about how younger the Steelers offense was for many of his 4 years with the staff and the challenges that created when it got here to studying about offense within the NFL.
“It was only a staff the place we misplaced Ben [Roethlisberger]. We misplaced a variety of O-line. We simply didn’t know something on offense, actually. We did not have any identification. We had a younger man coming in at quarterback. I used to be younger. The staff was younger. I actually didn’t have no person to nearly be taught from on the offensive facet. I believe the veteran man on that staff was like a two- three-year vet. He’s nonetheless studying himself.”
Harris additionally added that he’s trying to choose the brains of each veteran participant in Los Angeles that he can, and that his 4 years in Pittsburgh had been “very attention-grabbing.”
Harris has at all times been a participant that can converse candidly and never sugarcoat issues, and that is simply the newest instance of that.
On one hand, the primary focus of his remark right here is that the offense was simply extremely younger early on his profession. And it was. It was principally gamers on their preliminary NFL contracts nonetheless studying their approach within the league, and there was not a variety of management on that facet of that ball.
However this isn’t the primary time a participant has left the Steelers and commented on the shortcomings of the offense or how a lot they had been in a position to be taught whereas in Pittsburgh.
When extensive receiver Juju Smith-Schuster left Pittsburgh to signal with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, he commented that he had learned more about offense in his first 5 months beneath Andy Reid than he did in his 4 years with the Steelers.
The actual fact it’s this a few years later and gamers are nonetheless leaving with out actually studying something about offense could be very problematic, and never a very good look on head coach Mike Tomlin or the entrance workplace.
There may be an apparent expertise problem on that facet of that ball, particularly at quarterback, and that’s at all times going to carry issues again. That also doesn’t clarify why gamers are usually not studying extra, and it definitely factors to a problem with the offensive teaching and the system the staff is making an attempt to run.
The Steelers have gone by way of a number of offensive coordinators throughout that point, together with Matt Canada and at present Arthur Smith.
The Steelers haven’t ranked larger than twelfth in factors scored for the reason that 2018 season, and have ranked twenty first or decrease in 4 of the six seasons since then. They finished 16th this season with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback, however even that was not near ok.
If you’ll succeed on offense within the NFL you both have to have an amazing quarterback or an amazing system. Ideally you’ll have each. The Steelers have had neither.
