Mark Madden: With 'exhibition games' complete, Steelers need to play better to defeat Texans - TribLIVE

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This year’s exhibition games got canceled for most NFL teams. But not the Steelers. They had two.

Coach Mike Tomlin should send the NFL schedule-maker a thank-you note. The New York Giants and Denver provided the Steelers subpar foes with inexperienced quarterbacks, perfect practice fodder for Weeks 1 and 2. Those games weren’t impossible to lose, but close.

The Steelers certainly gave snatching defeat from the jaws of victory a good try Sunday against Denver at Heinz Field. A win is a win, but now it gets harder.

Or does it? Houston comes to Pittsburgh next Sunday lugging around a mark of 0-2. But the Texans played Kansas City and Baltimore. No exhibition games for them.

The Steelers played one decent half in each of their victories. Better will be required.

The Steelers displayed flaws in each of their wins. Their defense allowed a big-play touchdown, a 19-play drive and eight of 15 third-down conversions vs. the Giants. Against Denver, their offense made the sticks on just two of 12 third downs. The Steelers took 10 penalties.

About those penalties: Linebacker Vince Williams raced to Twitter immediately after Sunday’s game, proclaiming, “We beat two teams today! #WeAllWeGot”

Some flags against the defense were a bit dubious, but going on social media to whine about the officiating 30 minutes after a victory is just so present-day Steelers.

The defense is fine. It has 10 sacks and four takeaways after two games. It also looked vulnerable more often than you would expect. But that’s what the de facto preseason is for.

The defense has overwhelming personnel. Terrell Edmunds jumped up from the bottom of the pecking order to deliver an 11-yard sack that ended Denver’s last drive and sealed Sunday’s 26-21 victory. Third-and-2, then fourth-and-2 at Pittsburgh’s 15, and Denver tried to pass twice.

That brings us to the Steelers’ offense, which would likely have done the same.

The Steelers had a very reasonable pass/run split against the Giants: 34 pass plays and 30 running for percentages of 53/47. The Steelers rushed for 141 yards, averaging 4.7 per carry.

But vs. Denver, with starter James Conner miraculously not leaving the game early, the Steelers tried to pass 42 times and ran 22 times, putting the percentages at 66/34. They rushed for 109 yards and an average of five yards, but that was inflated by Conner’s 59-yard carry with less than two minutes left. Otherwise, the average carry was 2.4 yards.

Can the Steelers run the ball consistently? Will they even try?

Sunday’s 66/34 percentages reflect almost exactly the Steelers’ split in 2018 when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw a league-high 675 times, i.e., insanely too much. (Two of Sunday’s “running plays” were scrambles by Roethlisberger. The backs took only 19 handoffs.)

The Steelers made themselves one-dimensional despite having their top back available and a lead for almost 50 minutes. When the Steelers got the ball midway through the fourth quarter with a five-point lead, they passed four straight times before punting.

Conner is often hurt. But after rushing for 113 yards vs. the Giants, Benny Snell did himself no favors against Denver by fumbling for a second straight game. The offensive line is beat up and, even when healthy, not great at run blocking.

But the biggest factor is that Roethlisberger likes to throw: 66% of the time, it appears. There was scant reason to pass so much vs. Denver, but the Steelers did. They mostly ditched the run.

Roethlisberger calls almost all the plays in the no-huddle, and otherwise has carte blanche to audible at the line. One informed estimate says he does so 25-30% of the time. Roethlisberger also is the true offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Randy Fichtner and Matt Canada have big input, but Roethlisberger isn’t taking any orders.

That’s all fine, if it works. But in ’18, Roethlisberger’s last healthy season, it didn’t. The Steelers went 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs.

What’s happened to date, however, is of little consequence beyond 2-0. The big kids are going to start showing up at the playground.

Conner’s long run near the death of Sunday’s game was sprung by Derek Watt, baiting Twitter to cry out for using a fullback more. But it’s not that kind of offense, or that kind of league.

Conner did well vs. the Broncos, gaining 106 yards. But if the Little League coach’s kid hits a home run, that doesn’t necessarily mean he should bat cleanup every game.

It’s hard to tell if rookie guard Kevin Dotson is adept at run-blocking, pass-blocking or both. But he did OK in his first NFL start Sunday, because Roethlisberger survived and I forgot Dotson was playing until I was reminded after the game. Dotson got a game ball for his effort.

Categories: Mark Madden Columns | Sports | Steelers/NFL