Well, it’s been a rocky start to the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re currently 1-2, and in 3rd place in their division. Their only win was in overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals, with loses to the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns. Many Steelers fans are disappointed with the lousy start, but mostly displeased with the current starting quarterback, Mitch Trubisky. 

The 2nd overall pick in the 2017 draft, Mitch Trubisky seemed like a promising pick for the Chicago Bears. However, that pick quickly turned sour. After a 4 year tenure with the Bears, they didn’t re-sign him and he was released. He then signed a one year contract worth 2.5 million with the Buffalo Bills, but rarely ever saw the field. And that’s how he ended up in Pittsburgh. He signed a two year contract, and on September 6th, was named the starting quarterback. 

This announcement met with mixed feelings, as many people thought he wasn’t capable of a high-production offense. On the other hand, fans were glad that a veteran quarterback was leading the team. Yet three games in and the offense is definitely struggling. 

In the Steelers first game and only win, Trubisky completed 21 of his 38 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown. In game two against the Patriots, he completed 21 of his 33 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown and interception. Then this past Thursday against the rival Cleveland Browns, he completed 20 of his 32 passes for 207 yards and no touchdowns. Throughout the first three games he completed just 60.2% of his passes, threw for 569 yards as well as two touchdowns and one interception. That brings his QBR to an abysmal 77.7, fourth lowest in the league. 

While the Steelers rank 19th in points per game with 18, they rank 31st in total yards per game. They average a mere 272.7 yards per game, with only the Chicago Bears being lower. One of the main reasons they have such a low amount of yards is that they rarely ever have possession of the ball. They rank last in the league in average time of possession with just 24 minutes. During the time they do have the ball, they really struggle to get first downs, as they rank 29th with an average of 16.3 a game. They also punt the 2nd most in the league. 

All of these horrible stats really show that the Steelers need to do something different. Many people think that solution is to start first round draft pick, Kenny Pickett. The Steelers host the Jets this Sunday, which seems like the perfect time to put Pickett in. This is the easiest game on the schedule for a while, which could give him a confidence boost going into the harder games. It is also much better to start a rookie in front of the home crowd, plus they’ve been chanting his name all season long. 

There have also been talks of firing OC Matt Canada, as his play calling is extremely questionable. It’s predictable and really doesn’t utilize the offensive weapons the Steelers have. Pro Bowl running back Najee Harris is averaging just 4.7 yards a carry, and second round draft pick George Pickens has only five catches for 65 yards throughout the three games. Canada’s offensive consists of short gains, which makes it easy for the defense to read. It is one of the reasons the Steelers have scored just four offensive touchdowns so far. 

Their next game is Sunday against the New York Jets, but no matter the outcome, the Steelers faithful are bound to stay forever loyal.