The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a weird start to the 2026 season. The group is 1-1 after a rough loss to the New England Patriots on the road in Week 2, but the only reason the team has a win at all is because the Steelers hosted the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. The Falcons have still not run an offensive play in the red zone through two weeks. Pittsburgh's offense has been atrocious in every way imaginable, and that side of the ball didn't give the team a single chance to win while taking on the Patriots on Sunday.
Eric Canha / Imagn Images
Aaron Rodgers looks to pass during a Week 2 game against the Patriots.
It is hard to say that there was a single player on the offense that played well on Sunday. The production and efficiency wasn't there, and there were countless mental errors that were made throughout the game. Receivers dropped passes, Aaron Rodgers missed some throws, and the offensive line struggled in pass protection and in trying to clear some running lanes. The offensive line is probably the biggest worry for the Steelers through two games, but the offense has left a lot to be desired so far in 2026.
Starting left tackle Troy Fautanu spoke to the media after the loss on Sunday, and he was asked about what is going wrong with the offense. He wasn't able to identify any specific problem, but he did note that changes need to be made.
"Obviously, we have got to go back and watch the film, but something's gotta change," Fautanu said. "I don't know whether that's we're not working hard enough as an offense, or we're not working hard enough as an offensive line, or just not connecting well with each other, but something's gotta change."
Fautanu left out the specifics of what exactly needs to change, but it is clear that he thinks the offensive line and the offense could be doing more. Maybe there are issues with how the group is preparing for each contest, or maybe it is an issue with the game plan. It is something all parties involved are going to have to take a look at over the next week as Pittsburgh has a very important divisional matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers offensive lineman Troy Fautanu (76) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
There was some hope behind the young offensive line heading into the 2026 season, but the group struggled throughout the preseason and that has been the case over the first two games as well. The offensive line is what is going to determine the fate of this offense, and as of right now, things are not looking good. The group cannot run the ball, which makes passing even harder. Play-action cannot be set up, and that is a lot of what the offense is built around.
Every player on the offensive line needs to step up over the next week, and if not, some major changes could be seen along the unit. There are a couple of rookies that could be inserted into the starting lineup if things continue to go downhill.
Steelers' Troy Fautanu Needs To Perform Better
Fautanu is in his third season, and there have been times in the past where he has been praised as Pittsburgh's best offensive lineman. He has not played like that through the first two games of the season in 2026. To be fair to him, he is going through a switch to left tackle after spending all of 2025 at right tackle, but there had certainly been hope that he would be further along in his career by now.
He can still turn things around as he gets used to playing left tackle again, but the Steelers cannot afford for him to play the way he has throughout the first two weeks of the season. It is also worth noting that he went down for a moment in Week 1, and he missed a practice over the last week due to a minor injury. Maybe he will look better in Week 3 if he is closer to full health.
What do you think about Fautanu's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
#SteelerNation