The season couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start than it did for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After having months to prepare for their showdown with the New England Patriots, the Steelers got taken behind the woodshed by Tom Brady and the Patriots. The final score was 33-3 but a case could be made the game wasn’t even that close. Here are our four big takeaways from the loss.
The Steelers offense has a long way to go
We aren’t going to put all of this on the absence of Antonio Brown but there’s no doubt the passing offense couldn’t find its way Sunday night. Lack of reps in preseason figures into this as well but ultimately this unit looked like it still lacks any sort of identity.
The Steelers defense is closer
When you consider how well Brady has done against the Steelers, you have to account for this is any analysis of a group with all these new moving parts. Things weren’t great but you can tell this unit is headed in the right direction. The Steelers coaches need to sort out which players need more reps and which need less but considering how many new players were on the field, you can tell there’s optimism on this side of the football.
Absence of splash plays
Aside from one 45-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger to James Washington, there were no splash plays from the offense or the defense on Sunday night. No turnovers forced, one sack that meant nothing in the context of the game and no other big offensive plays.
The sky isn’t falling
The Steelers are 0-1 after one week. They played dreadfully in all facets and looked like they had no business being on the same field as the Patriots. But there are still 15 games to play and the worst game on the schedule is behind them. Assuming none of the injuries from the game are significant this team will get better. I mean, they have to, right? And there are enough winnable games on the schedule, this one is not a season-ender.
