Even though Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II is planning to sit down and meet with Antonio Brown, we are finding it more and more unlikely Brown will be on the team during the 2019 season. Regardless of how much of a headache or diva Brown was, he’s still one of the best wide receivers in the league. Replacing him won’t be so simple. But there are still ways the Steelers can make offensive adjustments and adapt to life after Brown.
Running the football
The Steelers ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing attempts in 2018. Meanwhile, the two teams in the Super Bowl both ranked in the top eight. Pittsburgh leaned so heavily on Ben Roethlisberger they seemed to forget James Conner was even in the backfield for long stretches. If Pittsburgh wants to be effective and efficient on offense without Brown, balancing out the 345 rushes compared to 689 passing attempts from last season.
Involving the tight ends
What we are seeing across the league is an uptick in tight ends involved in the passing game. The right tight end is too big for defensive backs and too fast for linebackers. The Steelers have Jesse James and Vance McDonald, both of whom are underrated receivers. It is past due for Pittsburgh to adjust their offensive scheme to get both of these guys more involved as receivers.
Tempo
One area where Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offense seems to thrive is when they run an up-tempo gameplan. It allows for short passes which mimic the run game and keeps defenses from making adjustments. Like the run game, Pittsburgh got away from this too much last season and it is a wrinkle the Steelers definitely need to bring back.
