Steelers News: How bad is the offense? David DeCastro says they aren’t even doing the “bare minimum”

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving into Week 17 of the NFL regular season, and as the team prepares for the Baltimore Ravens we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until the next game starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how David DeCastro said the Steelers’ offense is so bad, they can’t even do the “bare minimum”.

Let’s get to the news:

• The Steelers offense is bad right now, there is no way around it, so bad guard David DeCastro is suggesting the team can’t even do the bare minimum when it comes to execution.

David DeCastro: Steelers aren’t doing bare minimum offensively

By: Josh Alper, ProFootballTalk

The Steelers defense has allowed 33 points and 520 yards while forcing three turnovers over the last two weeks, but they have nothing but a pair of losses to the Bills and Jets to show for that effort.

Pittsburgh’s offense has been unsightly as they’ve slid from 8-5 to 8-7 and on the precipice of sliding out of the playoffs. Sunday’s effort started with Devlin Hodges at quaterback and James Conner at running back, but Conner got hurt and Hodges got benched after a pair of interceptions. He would return after Mason Rudolph, who led both scoring drives on Sunday, hurt his left shoulder in the second half, but he remained unable to get the team moving.

After the game, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said the team has some decisions to make before facing the Ravens next weekend. Rudolph’s injury could complicate those decisions, but, as right guard David DeCastro made clear, whoever is running the offense has to do a better job.

“We’re not even doing the bare minimum,” DeCastro said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• The Steelers’ playoff hopes are coming down to a proverbial Hail Mary for the second straight season.

Kevin Gorman: After losing to Jets, the Steelers’ playoff hopes are down to another Hail Mary

By: Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff hopes went from the right hand of Devlin “Duck” Hodges, off the hands of James Washington and through the hands of JuJu Smith-Schuster in the final minute at MetLife Stadium.

Now, they are out of the Steelers’ hands.

A 16-10 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday put the Steelers in a playoff predicament that would seem unimaginable, if only they hadn’t lived these circumstances just a year ago.

“We don’t want our playoff hopes in the hands of somebody else,” said Washington, the intended target on a disrupted third-down desperation pass in the final minute. “We’d rather just go ahead and win out and it be on us. But it didn’t work that way.”

Nope, not after Duck’s final chuck sailed through the outstretched arms of Smith-Schuster, who fumbled in the final minute last year at New Orleans and was despondent that he couldn’t make the pivotal play in the penultimate game for the second consecutive season.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• Le’Veon Bell got the last laugh on Sunday...

Jets’ Le’Veon Bell arrives in black-and-gold, leaves with win vs. Steelers

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Le’Veon Bell arrived at MetLife Stadium on Sunday wearing a Pittsburgh gold shirt and black pants.

“I wasn’t doing it to be petty or nothing,” Bell said after facing the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time. “It was just, I thought it would draw a little attention. You know? That’s all it was.”

Bell had a season-high 25 carries, gaining 72 rushing yards in addition to four catches for 21 yards. Most importantly, his current team beat his former team, 16-10.

“Obviously, every win feels great, but this one had a little extra topping on it,” said Bell, who sat out last season after refusing to sign the Steelers’ franchise-tag tender for what would have been his sixth season with the team. “It was fun playing against my old teammates, guys who never could hit me in practice. We had an opportunity to really go at it today.”

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

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