The matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals couldn’t be coming at a more perfect time. Pittsburgh is struggling to put points on the board, and Arizona’s defense is struggling to stop opponents from scoring.
While everyone is still harping on the fact that the Steelers went over 400 yards of total offense versus the Cincinnati Bengals for the first time since Matt Canada joined the staff, points are where it’s at to remain competitive in the NFL.
Points are the next natural step to keep building on the offense now run by offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner and play-caller Mike Sullivan.
“Points. Points. That’s what we want. We want points,” Kenny Pickett said on Wednesday. “Yards are great, you know, yards are great, but points win you games.”
It gave the offense (and defense) a boost to achieve the feat that many teams manage to accomplish on a weekly basis. It was something they desperately needed to hold their heads up high.
“It felt good on Sunday. After watching the tape and seeing how we executed in the pass game, the run game, how things kind of balanced off each other — definitely liked our performance, but we want more points, obviously.”
Pittsburgh now has the foundation to get there.
“The chunk plays were there,” he added. “We had some really good drives working on some long fields. We had some penalties and bad plays take us out of that rhythm. We get rid of that, the points should come.
“It’s game planning, the coverage, having the right call at the right time, getting them into those coverages and the shots we want to take versus the looks we’re seeing. We had them, which is great. It all works together. The protection was great; guys were getting open, I was making the throws. I want to continue having that great prep. It all happens during the week.”
The Cardinals and their 31st-ranked (points allowed) defense come to Pittsburgh on Sunday. The unit has surrendered 38 touchdowns this season. The only team that’s given up more is the Washington Commanders with 39.
