Jets Head Coach Has Perfect Advise for Steelers - And He Doesn't Know It
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has two glaring issues - the quarterback and the offensive coordinator. No one can pinpoint for certain who's the bigger problem, and maybe it might be both, but with the team's history, only one can/will change.
The Steelers do not fire coordinators during the season. Mike Tomlin has held the job for 15 years, and for 15 years, the coordinators who have started the season have finished it.
So, from what history tells us, Matt Canada has a job until the end of the year.
What about Mitch Trubisky? Well, everyone in the locker room remains confident in him. Center Mason Cole, wide receiver Chase Claypool and even Tomlin have had nothing but positive things to say about their quarterback.
The six-year veteran is 62 of 103 for 569 yards and two touchdowns this season. Through three games, his average yards per attempt is 5.5 and his quarterback rating is 77.7.
It hasn't been enough for the Steelers to win the last two weeks, and already, fans are screaming for Kenny Pickett to replace him. And maybe, he should.
There's a science in Pittsburgh. They don't want to rush Pickett onto the field and risk a downfall before he ever gets going. But their Week 4 opponents have a different mentality.
Talking with New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, his thoughts on playing rookies stood out. The Jets lead the league with most first and second-year reps this season and have wasted no time throwing guys like Zach Wilson and Amhed Gardner into the fire - even with losing records.
"You see the flashes, that's the exciting part," Saleh said. "Just like I said with the rookie quarterback, the exciting part is you see all these flashes and you get to mold these guys. They're going to get reps, they're going to learn on the fly with the objective of getting them to be veteran-like with a youthful body. You go through some of these growing pains, but at the same time, you see the light at the end of the tunnel is an explosive player."
The Steelers are working through growing pains, but with a six-year veteran that isn't expected to be the future of the team. Meanwhile, the rookie that will surpass him at some point - most likely next season - is sitting on the bench.
If there were no major hiccups, there would be no issue with the method. Fans, however, see that this offense - and consequently the defense - cannot win with how things are going currently. They want to ride through those pains with the first-round QB.
The Steelers, on the other hand, do not.
Saleh didn't know he would be speaking the direct thoughts most Steelers fans hold today. But as the words came out of his mouth, it was abundantly clear that his mindset is one Pittsburgh followers are desperately asking the team to consider.
It's a message those filling Acrisure Stadium hope Tomlin hears by the end of the season.
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