Stephen A. Smith never holds back when it comes to voicing his opinions, especially when it comes to his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers.
Appearing on ESPN’s “First Take” on Monday morning following the team’s 9-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the preseason, Smith was agitated and saw red because of what he saw on the field from the Black and Gold against the Bills.
Quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both struggled in the passing game and were not particularly well protected as the offensive line was a mess. The running game was not established and third-year running back Jaylen Warren was out with a hamstring injury that will hamper him ahead of the season opener in Atlanta.
Based on everything Smith saw against the Bills, the Steelers are “destined” to finish last in the AFC North, largely due to their offense and issues at the quarterback position.
“Let meI’ll tell you something now. The Steelers looked terrible on offense. They looked absolutely terrible. I’m very, very disgusted by what I saw,” Smith said of the Steelers’ offense. after of the video via ESPN. “Let’s get that out of the way first. Second, I understand where Shay-Shay (Shannon Sharpe) is coming from in terms of putting Russell Wilson in the starting lineup. That was certainly my thought process. I’m not sure how convinced I am of that right now. I understand he had the calf injury and stuff like that. I understand that reality.
“But this really touches me. I think about the fact that you took those three sacks. You still hold the ball a little too long. Why are these things relevant? Because that’s why Sean Payton couldn’t stand them. That’s why Sean Payton ran him out of Denver.”
Yes, the Steelers offense was terrible on Saturday night against the Bills. Any time you only manage 3 points, you have a terrible offensive performance, whether it was in the preseason or not.
However, it is very difficult to evaluate the quarterback’s play when Wilson was under pressure all night and Fields was running for his life to make an impact on offense.
All conversations may focus on the quarterback situation, as that may not be the solution the team needed at that position this offseason. That remains to be seen. But the bigger concern is the offensive line, and specifically second-year offensive tackle Broderick Jones.
Jones was awful on Saturday night, allowing two sacks and getting pressured multiple times. He’s playing with a bulky elbow brace on his right arm after suffering an injury on the first day of training camp wearing protective gear that could significantly hamper him. But he’s out there and needs to get better.
The entire offensive line needs to improve. Without that offensive strength, they won’t be able to accomplish much under Arthur Smith.
Ultimately, that has to be Smith’s bigger concern when it comes to the Steelers’ offense, not the quarterback. However, it’s easier to talk about the quarterback, which is what Stephen A. Smith continued to do.
“…I understand all that, but I look at Russell Wilson and say that’s why the Denver Broncos didn’t want him. I don’t want to hear about the calf injury,” Smith added. “Are you still holding onto the ball too long? Yes, that was the problem. And I just look at it from that standpoint, Shannon, and I’m not thrilled. I know the AFC North is no joke.
“…I never want this, and I’ve never said this before because I believe in Mike Tomlin so much, but the Steelers are in last place. Shay, they’re in last place. I don’t know how they’re going to get out of this.”
It’s worth remembering that the Steelers haven’t finished last in any division since 1988. While there were a few bad teams in between, those bad teams didn’t have the talent level of this year’s roster.
Yes, the AFC North is much better than it has been in years past, but the Steelers have been very successful against division opponents year after year. They know how to play them and how to win games.
They also know how to win games during the regular season.
It was an ugly Saturday against the Bills, but the lesson we should have learned from last year is that the preseason doesn’t really matter, good or bad. But here we are again, reacting pretty strongly in a way based on preseason performance.
