Last week a confluence of horrible coaching and just as horrible execution crippled the Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Between the questionable playcalling by offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and the four interceptions by quarterback Devlin Hodges, the Steelers offense just shot themselves in the foot too many times against the Buffalo Bills.
But this week we are banking on a bounce-back effort by the offense so they can get a win over the New York Jets. Here are five ways to boost the Steelers offense this week.
Keep James Conner on the field
Last week, Fichtner tried to justify not playing his best back more because he had missed some practice reps. But he didn’t bother to play the running backs who had been there all week either. This time around, with a full week under his belt, James Conner must be the focus of the run game with the other backs serving more specific roles.
Use the tight ends
Last week, Hodges targeted two mediocre receiving tight ends seven times. This week he gets Vance McDonald back, who is the far superior pass catcher. We’d love to see Hodges and McDonald connect multiple times this week, especially on key third downs.
Throw to the middle of the field
Last week, Hodges attempted almost no passes in the middle of the field. Crossing routes can be a huge benefit for an inexperienced offense, especially at quarterback and wide receiver. If the Steelers want to move the football, get guys like Diontae Johnson and James Washington working across the formation where Hodges doesn’t have to make those throws to the outside.
Let Hodges run the football
The Jets are sure to play plenty of man coverage this weekend. When Hodges sees the backs of all those Jets jerseys, he shouldn’t be afraid to tuck it and run. Hodges is a good athlete and while no one will confuse him with Lamar Jackson, he should be able to be more efficient when he has to choose between forcing a pass and pulling the football down and running.
Get JuJu Smith-Schuster back
If the Steelers can get Smith-Schuster back this week, he could be just the spark the offense needs. This could be especially true going back to our previous point about working the middle of the field. Smith-Schuster is a stud in the slot and could be a matchup nightmare against interior defenders. Even is Smith-Schuster doesn’t put up huge numbers his presence can help the other guys.
