The Steelers have set themselves up nicely going into the bye week at 6-2.
The second half of the season is looming for Pittsburgh with games against the Commanders, Chiefs and they have yet to play any games against AFC North rivals, which are always challenging, no matter the records.
So, after eight games, with nine to go, what’s going well for the Steelers and what’s not?
The Good:
Special Teams – all units.
Special Teams Coordinator Danny Smith and his comically large wads of gum are running on all cylinders right now.
The Steelers blocked a kick in three straight games, prior to the Monday night game against the New York Giants.
Returner Calvin Austin III gave the Steelers a spark with a with a 73-yard punt return to give the Steelers a lead in the third quarter breaking a 9-9 tie.
That marks four straight weeks with a big play from Smith’s players
Boz = $
Speaking of special teams, Chris Boswell is as close to perfect as you can get.
He’s made 23 of 24 field goals this season. The one he missed? That was a 62-yarder.
He’s also made every extra point so far this season, 16-for-16.
Boswell’s leg was the reason the Steelers won the first game of the season, making six field goals, the only points of the game in the W against Atlanta.
Offense beginning to click:
Quarterback Russell Wilson has got receivers not named George Pickens involved in the offense.
Austin also had a touchdown catch on Monday night, in addition to the punt return. He had three catches for 54 yards.
WR Van Jefferson had four catches for 62 yards.
While the offense hasn’t been able to punch the ball into the endzone on every long drive, they are moving the ball down the field with relative ease for the first time in at least 5 years.
They’re able to do that with Wilson opening up the passing game and that also allows the team to establish a running game.
Running back Najee Harris has started to get red hot, getting over 100 yards over the past three games, with two touchdowns.
The Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option (rightly so), but with the way he is playing now, he is playing himself into a big contract with another team next season.
T.J. Watt
The Steelers have T.J. Watt on their defense. Enough said.
The Bad:
Run Defense
The Steelers highly-paid and highly-touted defense has holes.
Opposing offenses are able to move the ball with seeming ease of their own at times, with RBs finding holes for big chunk plays and short screen passes are getting too many yards after catch.
Offensive line injuries/underwhelming play
The Steelers have had a rotating cast of players on the offense line all season long.
First-round pick offensive tackle Troy Fautanu is hurt, second-round pick center Zach Frazier is hurt and Isaac Seumalo missed the first four games of the season.
Starting right tackle Broderick Jones is playing because of Fautanu’s injury. It has given Jones a chance to improve, but the former first-round pick continues to struggle, even being called out by offensive line expert Duke Manyweather on social media during the game.
Fortunately, Dan Moore Jr. has been playing well but is pricing himself out of Pittsburgh. The Steelers need to hope Jones gets it together.
#2 Receiver
While Russell Wilson has helped elevate the game of wide receivers Calvin Austin and Van Jefferson, the team still doesn’t have a solid #2 receiver.
WRs have been dealt around the NFL before the trade deadline for cheap, so the Steelers should be able to find someone.
General Manager Omar Khan will be looking around if not for a #2 receiver at least some depth.
With Roman Wilson missing nearly all of training camp and now on the Reserve/Injured list, if George Pickens goes down with an injury, the wide receiver room looks really bad, really quick.