Yardbarker
x
The glass half full, half empty of Steelers QB Kenny Pickett's play
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The glass half full, half empty of Steelers QB Kenny Pickett's play

The Pittsburgh Steelers squeaked out a 26-22 win against the Cleveland Browns on "Monday Night Football" in Week 2, but it wasn't because of QB Kenny Pickett and the offense.

There could be several reasons for Pittsburgh's struggling offense, particularly Pickett. Here are the glass-half-full and glass-half-empty viewpoints for the second-year quarterback.

Glass half full

It's not time to hit the panic button quite yet. The Steelers just faced two of the top defenses, arguably the top two, in the NFL. The San Francisco 49ers held Pittsburgh to 239 yards a week ago, and the Browns held the Steelers to 255 yards Monday night. San Francisco and Cleveland also rank in the top three in fewest points allowed after the first two weeks of the season.

A large part of the blame for the offensive woes can be placed on offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Canada has been consistently questioned for his play-calling, and loud chants of "fire Canada" echoed throughout the stadium in Week 2. However, the Steelers have a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. If they can't find success Sunday, it may be time to lean toward the glass-half-empty viewpoint.

Glass half empty

It could soon be time to accept that Pickett is not the future of the franchise. The 25-year-old has looked lost at times, missing wide-open targets and holding on to the football too long. Even Pickett is critical of the offense, which is struggling to execute simple plays.

"There's things we've got to do a lot better offensively," Pickett told reporters after the game. "Staying on the field, third downs, putting points up. I mean, very ABC, vanilla stuff, playing better offensively. Period."

The next few weeks when the schedule gets a little easier will be very telling. If Pickett can't turn things around, Pittsburgh may have to look elsewhere sooner than later.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.