Pittsburgh Steelers fans are sick and tired of discussing a poor offensive showing throughout the first two weeks of the 2023 regular season. The team sits in 31st when it comes to time of possession and total yards while being ranked 26th in total points. If you take away the two defensive touchdowns in Week 2, the Steelers would have an embarrassing 19 total points. Nothing has been pretty on Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada's side of the house and his time as Pittsburgh's play-caller may be running out. He is not the only person to blame, though, and overall, the offensive product on the field has been awful.
There's a lot that goes into an offense failing. The play-caller in the booth should be the recipient of the most criticism, but the Steelers are having issues all over the place. Pickett has looked extremely subpar to begin his second season, and his accuracy and decision-making have been significantly criticized. The unit also doesn't even have 100 total yards of rushing through two weeks, which is nearly dead last in the league.
When one takes a look at the receiving core, it as just as troubling. Aside from a 71-yard touchdown reception from George Pickens, there has been almost nothing to get excited about. Pickens is sitting with 163 yards, but the second-best receiver statistically is backup running back, Jaylen Warren, who has hauled in nine catches for 78 yards.
One of the more underrated Steelers since 2021 has been tight end, Pat Freiermuth. The third-year player was expected to make a massive leap in 2023 and earn himself a lucrative contract extension. That has not been the case through the initial two weeks. He has been targeted five times and only has two catches that have went for a whopping five yards.
Something that is extremely popular nowadays is media outlets asking former players for their opinions on the team(s) they played for. Retired NFL guys know exactly what goes on in a locker room and on the field. The Steelers have an incredible alumni group and while all aren't in the Hall of Fame, the opinions of Super Bowl champions will always be valued.
Do The Steelers Need More Effort From Their Best Tight End?
Chris Hoke hoisted two Lombardi Trophies with Pittsburgh and was a role player on the dominant defenses that helped capture two championships in the first decade of the century. He joined Ron Cook and Joe Starkey on the Cook & Joe Show on Thursday and talked about all things Steelers. One of the interesting points the former defensive lineman brought up was in regards to Freiermuth and his efforts on the field.
"I don't know what's going on with Freiermuth and why he's not getting the ball. It just seems like he's not that into it."
It is rather bold to question Freiermuth's work ethic on the field after just two games, especially after he got pummeled in Week 1 and could still be feeling the negative effects.
The team's top tight end hasn't been much of a factor at all in the passing game and he will need to get involved if Pittsburgh's offense wants to at least try and be more dynamic.
Hoke didn't hold back and brought up that Freiermuth isn't just 'not into it' when it comes to the receiving game alone. He's not overly thrilled with how he has been in the run game, either.
"He's not blocking well at the line of scrimmage. Part of the reason the Steelers are struggling to run the ball is because they can't win on the edge. They're not winning at the tight end position at the line of scrimmage and they're getting knocked back," Hoke explained.
Hoke went on to encourage listeners to watch the film. If they do, everyone will be able to see that Freiermuth is not winning at the line of scrimmage. Hoke is attributing the early-season struggles to him not caring on the field. That's hard to believe because of the tight end's competitive nature. It's way more likely that he is dealing with a chest injury that is prohibiting him from being his best self in-game.
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