Someone said to me Sunday after the Steelers lost to the Patriots that if I wanted to really create a buzz, I should "write a column that the Steelers should bring back Ben Roethlisberger."
I laughed and then said, "I just might do that," even though I've spent the better part of the three years arguing the Steelers stayed with Roethlisberger too long and to the detriment of their rebuilding efforts.
The idea of the Steelers bringing Roethlisberger back is silly, but it isn't that much sillier than the idea of benching Mitch Trubisky in favor of Kenny Pickett after just two games. No disrespect to my good friend and colleague Joe Starkey and everyone else calling for Pickett, but you have lost your minds and aren't thinking this through.
First off, the Steelers' offense is brand new with a lot of moving parts. Let's start there — did you really think it was going to be a well oiled machine two games into the season? What are we talking about here?
There are many problems with this offense, and the quarterback isn't at the top of the list. Has Mitch Trubisky been good? No, he hasn't. He needs to be better, but in his defense, they have asked him to merely be a game manager, protect the ball and make enough plays to help the Steelers stay in the game.
He did that last Sunday in Cincinnati; he didn't do it Sunday against New England. The Steelers are 1-1 with a three-point win over the defending AFC champs and a three-point loss to a team that made the playoffs last season.
Thankfully, Mike Tomlin is rational, measured and understands the offense is a work in progress and thus he isn't going to be reactionary. In fact, he said Monday at his press conference he is going to "exercise patience" with the offense and play calling. And on the subject of Trubisky, he said, "I've liked a lot of what he's done, to be honest with you."
Tomlin isn't just standing by his man; he is being realistic. Things aren't that bad all things considered, and the Steelers, despite losing, are still technically in first place in the AFC North.
They have a few more weeks to sort things out because it is a long season. The Steelers are a couple plays away from being 2-0 despite starting off with two presumptive playoff teams.
Pickett's time will and should come. He is the future, the guy the Steelers selected in the first round for a reason. But the Steelers brought in Trubisky and named him their starter because he was the best quarterback in training camp.
To pull the plug on Trubisky now would be really dumb because he hasn't gotten a real chance to either sink or swim. He has barely had enough time to develop a chemistry with his receivers and his offensive line and get on the same page with offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Yes, Trubisky needs to be better, but realistically, he is just getting started. There are so many things wrong with this offense that I am not sure how anyone can say with a straight face he has had a reasonable amount of time to figure it out. He hasn't, and he hasn't had a whole lot of help, either.
For instance, if we want to have discussions about benching someone, how about running back Najee Harris in favor of Jaylen Warren? I know one is a first-round pick and the other is an undrafted guy, but that shouldn't matter.
Harris has increasingly proven the Steelers made a mistake drafting him in the first round last year, but not just because he is a running back. Harris just isn't the elite back that the Steelers thought they were drafting. He doesn't have great vision, doesn't have elite speed or explosion, and he looks a whole lot more like a short-yardage specialist than a featured back.
Warren isn't a superstar, but watching the first two games, it is clear he is a better blocker than Harris and he runs harder and hits the hole quicker. I would be far more interested in seeing him get a start Thursday against the Browns than Pickett.
Perhaps part of Harris' problem is the offensive line isn't great at run blocking, but as former Steelers lineman Trai Essex pointed out, there are holes for Harris to run through and he is just missing them. And that goes back to his vision, or lack thereof.
The largest issue, though, and the thing that really makes it difficult to evaluate Trubisky, is Canada's play calling and his offense. How can you judge Trubisky when he has played with a harness on, when his marching orders have been, essentially, "Just don't screw up?"
Trubisky is a great runner, for instance. How many designed runs have we seen for him in two weeks? He has a good arm and can throw downfield. How often has he been allowed to do that? How often does he throw it down the middle? How often has been asked to roll out and make big plays from outside the pocket?
I'm not trying to make excuses for Trubisky. He has to be better and if he isn't eventually, a change will make sense. We aren't there yet.
How can anyone make any definitive statement about the play of a guy who isn't allowed to run the full offense; isn't allowed to look for big play opportunities; isn't allowed to use his legs to his advantage; has a very mediocre running game to work with; has an offensive line that is at best a work in progress; and an offensive coordinator who is still learning on the job?
The Steelers chose Trubisky knowing there would be growing pains with the offense and knowing it might take a little time for him to settle in and feel comfortable. They knew this was going to be a struggle early, but they chose Trubisky because he was best equipped, as a seasoned veteran, to work through all these issues and still give the Steelers a chance to win games.
So to bench Trubisky after two games — and thus make him essentially the fall guy for an offense he isn't allowed to fully run with myriad issues — would be disingenuous at best and downright ridiculous at worst.
