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The Pittsburgh Steelers moved to 6-3 on the season with a 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but despite the strong record and win, there are multiple areas of concern with the team as they head into the last eight games of the season.
The Steelers defense played pretty well against the Packers, and the offense showed some more life in this win than in other games this season. However, if not for a blocked extra point, the Packers would have been in position to kick a game-tying field goal to send the game to overtime on the last drive, instead of needing to go for a touchdown and failing.
That is how close the Steelers were to going to overtime with a Packers team that has not looked very dangerous this season.
There are three main points to hit on when talking about concerns for the Steelers going forward. Some of those will be obvious, while others might not stand out to those who do not follow the team closely.
Let's get into the three concerns with the Steelers despite the wild Week 10 win over the Packers.
Kenny Pickett and the passing game
It is no secret that Kenny Pickett and the Steelers' passing game has disappointed this season, with offensive coordinator Matt Canada taking the brunt of the blame from the fanbase. Against the Packers, Kenny Pickett completed 14-of-23 passes for 126 yards and no touchdowns against the Packers, according to ESPN. That is obviously nothing to write about.
Kenny Pickett has thrown for under 200 yards in four of the Steelers' nine games so far this year. Whether it is Pickett's faults, Matt Canada's system or a combination of both, the passing offense has to improve to beat teams like the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns and Bengals are on the schedule for the next two weeks, both being road games. The Steelers beat the Browns earlier this season with the help of multiple turnovers, and beat the Ravens in a low-scoring game at home.
On the road, the Steelers and Kenny Pickett will have to perform better. This is a worry, and it remains to be seen whether or not this is a fixable issue.
Linebacker depth with Kwon Alexander, Cole Holcomb out
The Steelers are expected to lose linebacker Kwon Alexander due to a reported torn Achilles that he suffered during the game against the Packers. This comes after the team lost Cole Holcomb earlier this season. Both Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb were key linebackers for the team.
While the Steelers still have strong talent on the defensive side with players like TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, having starting linebackers like Kwon Alexander and Cole Holcomb out for the season looms large.
It will be interesting to see how Mike Tomlin's staff adapts, because it is a concern.
The Steelers are a historic outlier
Looking on the surface, the Steelers might seem like a normal 6-3 that wins on the back of its defense. However, they have been outgained in all nine of their games this season.
Since yards were first tracked in 1933, there have been 23 teams to be outgained in each of their first nine games. The 2023 Steelers are the only one to have a winning record, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
This should be a signal that the current formula for wins is not sustainable. Against tougher opponents, the Steelers might not be so fortunate to get some wins. Even if the Steelers get a couple of more wins and make it into the playoffs, this is not something they should aim to replicate next season.
