Despite all the problems the Pittsburgh Steelers have had this season, there is no let-up. Pittsburgh now has to scramble to recover from the injury to quarterback Mason Rudolph and make their second west coast trip of the season and take on the Los Angeles Chargers. There are plenty of reasons for Steelers fans to worry but here are the big three for us.
Quarterback, obviously
Devlin Hodges is going to spend the week preparing to make his first NFL start. Hodges is a great story and there’s no doubt he has some talent. But he is about to face an angry NFL defense looking to rattle him all game long. Hodges has some talent but is he ready to lead this team, even if it is only for one game?
Motivation heading into the bye week
At 1-4 what exactly are the Steelers playing for? It’s not the playoffs. This question is especially true of the defense. They have played much better in recent weeks but now face the challenge of carrying an even heavier burden with the offense hobbled. Is pride enough for these guys to step up and play hard for four quarters? Or will staring down a week off cause them to slack?
Can these coaches handle a challenge?
This is especially true of head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. Are they capable of finally getting the Steelers’ offense on track under this volume of duress? The defense has been doing its part but the offense continues to fall flat.
