The Pittsburgh Steelers have a real flair for the dramatic. It has been a late play by the offense in recent weeks but on Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans, it was a huge defensive stop that secured the 20-16 win. The win improves the Steelers to 5-3 and keeps them in the thick of the playoff hunt. Here are our big takeaways from the win.
Kenny Pickett was off
For much of the game, Kenny Pickett looked to be just a tick off from his receivers. You can’t blame offensive coordinator Matt Canada who called a very good game. But Pickett just isn’t playing with the poise, confidence and command we expect. Sailing throws and missing open receivers do his offense no good.
Broderick Jones is a future star
We loved what we saw from Broderick Jones as the starting right tackle. His power and athleticism were a welcome sight and there’s no reason he shouldn’t be in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.
This secondary is a wreck
When the pass rush isn’t working, this secondary is a mess. Patrick Peterson doesn’t seem to have a position and rookie Joey Porter Jr. is still a work in progress.
The run game carried the day
The combination of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren was tremendous. They combined for 156 rushing yards and Warren averaged 7.9 yards per carry. This is the formula for the rest of the season on offense.
Matt Canada on the sidelines worked
I’m not sure if it mattered or not but offensive coordinator Matt Canada called a great game. If all it took was a trip down the elevator to fix this offense, so be it. Don’t hate Canada this week.
