The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a decent first half of the 2026 season as the team sits at 6-2 heading into Week 9, which happens to be Pittsburgh's bye week. The team now has a chance to get healthy and maybe even make some moves ahead of the NFL's trade deadline, which is something a lot of fans are hoping for. The Steelers are riding high as the win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday propelled the team into first place in the AFC North, but there are still some areas of concern when it comes to the product that is seen on the field.
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Steelers' Mike McCarthy on the sideline at Acrisure Stadium during a big win over the Cleveland Browns in 2026.
The Steelers' offense has seemed better than it has been in recent years, and that is especially true when it comes to the run game. The passing game has been a bit up and down. Things especially get difficult for the offense once the group crosses over into the red zone. The unit has struggled to score touchdowns in those situations as the team has settled for way too many field goals on the year. The Steelers have scored touchdowns on just 50 percent of the team's red zone drives.
This was a clear problem against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7, and the issue arose again in Week 8 against the Browns. The Steelers had an 86-yard drive that took over seven minutes off of the clock to begin the second quarter, and the offense got the ball down to the two-yard line. Pittsburgh failed to punch the ball in after passing on two consecutive plays at the two, and the team had to settle for a field goal. Offensive Coordinator Brian Angelichio was asked about this during his session with the media on Monday.
"We've got to see if we have the right plays down there," Angelichio said. "Are we really putting our players in the right areas to be successful? We're missing out on some [opportunities] in the run game. I think it all goes into it down there. You know, there's run-pass options, checks if it's a loaded box, if it's a pressure look, so you're kind of hunting all of those things. We've just got to look at that and whether we've got to tighten it down or lean more towards 'this,' that's something we're certainly going to look at the next few days, because we have to be better down there."
Angelichio is not the play-caller on game days, but he does help game plan for the offense throughout the week. His role on game days is a little bit unclear, but he is helping out with all things on the offense. He noted that the red zone struggles are something the coaching staff is going to be addressing to begin the bye week.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Coordinator Brian Angelichio looks on during an NFL game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium.
The running game in Pittsburgh is one of the best in the NFL, and it is bizarre that it is not leaned on once the offense is down around the end zone. This happened against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers near the end of the game as well back in Week 6. There is some speculation that Aaron Rodgers is checking out of run plays to throw the ball, or he is choosing to pass no matter what in situations where a run-pass option is called.
Steelers Need To Fix This Issue During The Bye Week
Fixing the red zone offense is a priority during the bye week, which is good to hear. Self-scouting is always an important part of an NFL season, and it should lead to some more success down around the end zone. Championship-caliber teams are usually pretty opportunistic, and that means capitalizing on red zone trips and getting takeaways. The Steelers are in the top ten in takeaways, but the group has work to do when it comes to red zone efficiency.
Do you think red zone efficiency is Pittsburgh's biggest issue going into the bye week? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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