Steelers Have 1 Gigantic Problem That Could Derail 2026 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers definitely have a lot of work to do despite winning the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. The offense was very rough throughout the whole contest, as they failed to score touchdowns without the aid of interceptions from their defense. Meanwhile, the other side of the ball did look nice for the most part, but there are definitely some things that need to be addressed there as well. It's better to look over these issues after a win, but Pittsburgh should not expect to get a lot of wins by playing similar to how it did in Week 1. 

The special teams aspect was also rough. There was one play in particular where there was a total miscommunication on the field goal try, as the ball got snapped before anybody was ready. Holder Cameron Johnston had to just roll out and throw the ball away to avoid losing more yards on the busted attempt. That is a very rare issue, and hopefully it never happens again.

That was not the only problem with the special teams in that game. While making an appearance on Deebo & Joe, former linebacker James Harrison explained a recurring theme that played out against the Falcons.

"We get into the second half, and it's another nice return [for the Falcons]," Harrison explained. "This time, no penalty. We got to do something about our coverage team."

The Steelers' kickoff coverage team had some issues throughout the game. To begin the second half, Brian Robinson Jr. got a 40-yard return to put the Falcons in a great position to score, although they ended up missing a field goal to end that drive. If that's just a one-time thing, it wouldn't be too much of a problem, but that did not seem to be the case in this game.

In the second quarter, the Steelers got bailed out by a holding call, as Zachariah Branch's 64-yard return was wiped out by a penalty. The one time that they were able to stop the Falcons from getting beyond the 30-yard line was when there was a miscommunication between the two returners, leading to some hesitation before beginning the return. That little delay gave Pittsburgh the time it needed to swarm downfield and make the stop. 

Punt coverage was a little better for the Steelers, but allowing 11 yards per return still is not great. This is a team that has prided itself on having a very strong special teams unit for years, but that has not been the case for a little bit. Pittsburgh did bring in a new coordinator for that phase of the game, but early returns have not looked great thus far. Luckily, there is still time to figure everything out.

Steelers' Special Teams Unit Seems To Have Taken A Step Back Early In 2026

At the very least, the Steelers were typically good at covering kickoffs and punts in previous years. The game film from Week 1 shows that this might turn into a major weakness if things don't get fixed quickly. The defense already has a tough task with trying to give the offense a boost. It's a lot harder to do that when the specialists are allowing the opponent to get quality field position.

The Steelers' return game is also rough, although that's nothing new. They averaged just 24.7 yards per return on the kickoff, and rookie Kaden Wetjen only had two punt returns for 13 yards. Pittsburgh didn't use a fourth-round pick just to have the same returner issues that they had before. He also had his own miscommunication on a return as both returners called for a kick.

There was also the aforementioned field goal blunder before the first half. All in all, it does not look like new special teams coordinator Danny Crossman has a great grip on this unit. Even during preseason and training camp, questions were starting to come out about his effectiveness. Hopefully, he can get everything figured out by midseason, but with all the problems showing up, he may not be around for long.

What do you think about Harrison calling out the Steelers' kick coverage unit after their Week 1 game? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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