Tim Benz: Some Steelers’ offensive issues can be pinned on rust, others are much bigger

A lot of Pittsburgh Steelers fans are swaddling themselves in intellectual inconsistency right now.

The Steelers’ offense has looked terrible during the first two preseason games. Therefore, the fan base is falling back on the old adage that NFL preseason results mean nothing.

Meanwhile, a year ago, when Kenny Pickett had the offense humming in the preseason like they were the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams, those same people were making Super Bowl plans.

As usual, we attach — or detach — the significance of preseason outcomes based solely on whether those results make us feel significantly better or worse about our favorite team.

For people in Pittsburgh, I’m not sure how anyone can feel good about the offense so far in 2024. As a result, we are doing our collective best to tamp down any suggestion that its struggles are a harbinger for things to come in the regular season.

That very well may prove to be true.

Unfortunately, though, there are some aspects of the Steelers’ poor offensive preseason that should make head coach Mike Tomlin and new coordinator Arthur Smith uneasy heading into the club’s final tune-up Saturday in Detroit.

• The easiest way to dismiss offensive inefficiency in the preseason is to argue that the team in question isn’t showing much of its playbook.

In other words, they are being bland or vanilla on purpose.

OK. Well, wasn’t the whole selling point of Smith’s offense that it was going to lean into the run game and thrive off of a ground-and-pound philosophy? I thought the Steelers were going to allegedly reconnect with their roots of beating up the opposition in the trenches and winning with a smashmouth approach.

Is there anything more basic than that? Hand the ball to Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, block up front, and get four yards on every carry to move the chains. Then, occasionally, pop something off of play action or hit the tight end down the seam.

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Yet if you look at the first-half rushing numbers (with mainly first-teamers on both sides of the ball to start the game) over the first two contests — excluding quarterback Justin Fields’ scrambles — the team is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry.

Blocking and running the ball is as simple and fundamental as you can get, and the Steelers aren’t even doing that.

• Broderick Jones is a mess. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that his injured elbow is a bigger deal than the team is acknowledging.

On Saturday, Jones was so badly beaten at right tackle so often that it was almost impossible to evaluate the rest of the offense because of his play. Bills defensive lineman Greg Rousseau was wrecking the game.

One of three things is happening with Jones.

A. He’s hurt.

B. He’s regressing.

C. He’s messed up because the Steelers keep switching him between right and left tackle to accommodate Dan Moore Jr.’s inability to swing over to the right side.

Or, even worse, it could be all of the above.

• Jones is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to injuries.

Nate Herbig reportedly has a torn rotator cuff that may keep him out all year. Warren’s hamstring will reportedly keep him out for a few weeks. Troy Fautanu is dealing with a sprained knee and will likely be sidelined until the start of the regular season.

Not to mention all the practice reps lost to Russell Wilson’s calf injury in training camp and defensive injuries suffered by linebacker Alex Highsmith (groin), Payton Wilson (concussion) and rookie slot corner Beanie Bishop Jr. (undisclosed).

• The pass pressure largely hasn’t been the fault of the quarterbacks. But three sacks absorbed by Russell Wilson is on brand — as has been the two sacks, two fumbles and a reliance on his own legs from Fields to keep drives going.

• The wide receivers haven’t done anything to condemn themselves as being subpar NFL players. They’ve all been fine. But there has been nothing from that group to mute the cacophony of cries from the Terrible Towel-waving public and media that the Steelers need to acquire San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

Or at least someone of his ilk. That’s a sentiment I agree with 100%, by the way.

Yes, it’s only preseason. But many of the preseason problems we are seeing from the offense look like they could manifest into regular season form.

Unfortunately, when it comes to health and talent procurement, that may not be possible to fix by Sept. 8 in Atlanta.