After going 2-3 with a minus-8 point differential in November, the Pittsburgh Steelers are ready to turn the page to December.
The Steelers struggled on both sides of the ball last month, sputtering both offensively and defensively.
Offensively, Pittsburgh’s passing game was virtually nonexistent, averaging just 166.8 net passing yards per game. The Steelers had fewer than 200 net passing yards in four of five games last month, including a season-low 108 in their ugly loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Granted, it didn’t help that Aaron Rodgers missed a game and a half with a wrist injury, thrusting Mason Rudolph under center. It also hasn’t helped that Rodgers endured two of the worst games of his career in November, indicating that the 42-year-old may finally be over the hill.
Regardless, Pittsburgh has struggled pushing the ball downfield lately. The Steelers didn’t complete a single pass of at least 20 air yards last month, going 0-for-13 with three interceptions on those throws over their last five games.
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Part of the explanation is that Rodgers gets the ball out quickly, similar to Ben Roethlisberger in his final seasons. That naturally leads to shorter passes, as receivers have less time to run downfield and get open.
It also hasn’t helped that Pittsburgh traded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys last offseason, jettisoning one of the team’s top receiving threats and putting too much pressure on DK Metcalf to carry the receiving corps.
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The Steelers need to have more success in this area if they want to turn their season around in December and make the playoffs. Otherwise, their offense will remain severely limited and continue to struggle.
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