Quarterback Mitch Trubisky has posted a .564 win percentage as a starting quarterback in the NFL. But in an ultra competitive AFC and two difficult road starts looming at the end of the season, Trubisky may have to win all of his upcoming starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs this season.
Even in the face of that pressure and a bad opponent on paper, Trubisky made it clear to his offensive teammates on December 5 that he doesn’t want to be cautious in Week 14 against the New England Patriots.
“We’re trying to score,” Trubisky told the media. “I’m going to be aggressive. I’m going to take care of the football, and we’ve got to play better as an offense. We’re going against a good defense this week that is well-coached. So, we’ve got to do our job and execute.
“It’s always a fine line. I think you can ask any quarterback that you want to be aggressive, but if you’re too safe with the football, you’re not going to move it.”
That could be interpreted as a direct message to new Steelers offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner and play caller Mike Sullivan.
Usual starting quarterback Kenny Pickett has been very careful with the ball this season. Because of Pickett’s ball security, the Steelers are tied for the fewest giveaways in the NFL.
But the Steelers are 28th in passing yards and 31st in passing touchdowns. The Steelers also average just 16 points per game, which is 28th in the league.
Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky to Have Balanced Aggressive Mindset
One could argue the very conservative game plan against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 was what caused the Steelers to finally depart with offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
In a matchup involving two top scoring defenses, the Steelers took few offensive risks. It kept them in the game despite scoring just 10 points.
Cleveland, though, didn’t take many risks either with rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson making his first career start.
As a result, yards were at a premium. The Steelers won the turnover battle against the Browns but lost the game.
In so many words, Trubisky’s message to his new offensive coordinator and play caller was not to make that same mistake against the offensively-challenged Patriots.
“You’ve got to know what you can do, and you always have got to take care of football,” Trubisky added on December 6. “But sometimes you’ve just got to believe in yourself that you can make the throws to move the ball down the field and score points.”
Trubisky has thrown 2 touchdown passes on just 49 attempts this season. That’s a third of Pickett’s total. The second-year quarterback has just 6 touchdown passes on 324 pass attempts.
But Trubisky also has 2 interceptions. Pickett has 4 interceptions despite 275 more attempts.
How Long Could the Steelers Be Without QB Kenny Pickett?
Pickett underwent ankle surgery on December 4, but the Steelers didn’t place the signal caller on injured reserve. That’s because the team hopes he won’t need to miss four games, which is the requirement for any IR stint.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on December 6 that the Steelers are “bracing” for the idea that Trubisky will start four games.
“The sense out of Pittsburgh is quarterback Kenny Pickett could end up missing four weeks with that right ankle injury,” Fowler wrote. “I’ve talked to people who are at least bracing for that possibility.”
If Pickett misses four games, then he will not be back until the regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens.
It will likely take 10 victories to be guaranteed a playoff spot in the AFC this season. If Trubisky starts the next four games, he will probably need to win three of them for the Steelers to feel confident about their postseason chances.
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Mitch Trubisky Issues Challenge to Steelers New OC: ‘It’s Always a Fine Line’