Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are already in panic mode after the terrible offensive showing through the first two weeks. The defense has as many touchdowns as the offense, and the unit upfront is struggling to block. There is hardly anything nice to say about that side of the ball, and it has to get better immediately. Pittsburgh's next two games are divisional matchups, including a Thursday Night Football game on the road against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4. Even with how rough that team looks, the Black and Gold has notoriously struggled in road AFC North games on a short week.
Bob DeChiara / Imagn Images
Mike McCarthy watches from the sideline during a Week 2 game against the Patriots.
If this offense does not get significantly better immediately, the Steelers are staring at 1-3 while being 0-2 in the division. They can't go up against hated rivals and expect to win by playing anywhere near how they have played in the first two weeks, especially in a short week where there's no real practices. With how strong the AFC North is, Pittsburgh can't afford to enter October behind the 8 ball. It all starts in Week 3 as the Steelers gear up for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Defensive captain Cameron Heyward has an idea on how to get the offense going. He explained his thought process on the latest episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward.
"As a defender, I kind of take it as we got to get them short fields," Heyward said. "We got to get them going a little bit. I think once you get a couple short fields, it feels like a couple layups going in, just seeing it go in, and then you can get rolling from there."
Momentum is a real thing in the sports world, so Heyward wants to help the offense build that momentum and get them scoring again. A big part of that is the confidence boost that everyone would get. After that horrific Week 2 performance against the New England Patriots, it feels like confidence within the organization is at an all-time low. The Steelers need a big offensive showing in the worst way possible.
Getting a couple of takeaways to set the Steelers up in plus territory would definitely help with that. It helps to take the pressure off of the offense, as it doesn't have to worry about driving 70 yards to get a touchdown. It allows the unit to relax a bit more and play the game that it wants to play, as opposed to whatever the opposing defense is trying to force it to do.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers linebackers TJ Watt (90) and Alex Highsmith (56) celebrate big play in their Week 1 game against the Falcons on September 13, 2026.
There are a couple of flaws with this idea. For starters, the defense did set the Steelers up with a short field against the Atlanta Falcons. While they did get a touchdown off of that, it didn't spark anything as the offense continued to struggle against a depleted unit. The only other touchdown from that game for Pittsburgh came from TJ Watt, and he was a significant reason why the game never went to overtime.
The other issue is the whole field position game. Usually, takeaways should directly lead to momentum, but that hasn't been the case for the Steelers. That was even a problem in 2025, as they were one of the best teams at taking the ball away, but it never led to points in way too many scenarios. If Pittsburgh forces a turnover in its own territory, it doesn't feel like as much of a win as it should.
Steelers Have The Same Issue They've Had All Throughout The 2020s
For many years now, the defense has been the deciding factor for if Pittsburgh wins or not. Early in the decade, it was mostly about if Watt was healthy and playing well or not. If he was doing his thing, the Steelers won. If not, it was a very ugly loss. In 2025, when the star edge rusher was slowing down, it became about team takeaways. They had to win the turnover battle by a lot just to have a chance at closing a contest out.
What do you think about Heyward's idea to get the offense going? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
#SteelerNation