Steelers first quarter review: Disappointing lack of progress on offense defines first four games

I did not expect a particularly good offense, but some progress would have been nice to see.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have played four games in the 2023 season and they have been more discouraging than anything else.

In two of those games they have been completely outplayed and outclassed, including by one team — Houston — that they probably should have been expected to beat.

In the other two games the defense has made enough game-changing plays to lift the team to wins, including one game where they literally scored two touchdowns.

In all four games the offense has been dreadful, scoring just four total touchdowns and even worse not showing an ounce of progress from what we saw last year. If anything, it has taken a step backwards from what we saw last year.

And that, more than anything, is what stands out from the first four games for me.

The defense has not been perfect and was completely gashed by both San Francisco and Houston, but that unit is also the only reason the Steelers are not sitting here looking at an 0-4 start. They give up some yards, they give up some big plays, and they might not be as good as you want them to be given the resources poured into it and the hype, but on any given week they will completely take over a game and lift the team to a win.

They are very boom or bust on that side of the ball, but when everything clicks they can be incredible.

Is that good enough? Probably not. But that side of the ball is still pretty far down my list of concerns.

The offense is where things are bleak.