Grading the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into Week 2

When it comes to fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers and their reaction following the team's opening week loss to the New England Patriots, their reactions could be anything from "the world is going to end", to "everything will be okay". With that said, it is time to put a finger to the pulse of Steelers Nation and see how you would grade the team following their Week 1 loss as they prepare for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2.

The Steelers didn't put their best foot forward Thursday night. Whether it was the defensive miscommunication, the overall lack of preparedness by the coaching staff, or the porous secondary which was abused on more than one occasion.

However, at the same time the Steelers offense moved the ball with relative ease in both the ground game and passing game. The only caveat to this success was the fact the team left so many points on the field with two missed field goals by Josh Scobee, a squandered goal line situation and a missed touchdown due to Darrius Heyward-Bey's toe being on the line while catching a would-be touchdown pass.

The reason for the grade being so late after the game is this now encompasses any changes the team has made heading into the next game as well. The depth chart has changed slightly after the first game, and Brandon Boykin looks to actually play a defensive snap against the 49ers this Sunday, while Will Allen officially surpassed Shamarko Thomas as the starting safety alongside Mike Mitchell.

For me, the Steelers issues in Week 1 are fixable, and it is now up to the coaches and players to simply get the job done. This sounds relatively easy, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. With that said, the grade for the Steelers heading into Week 2 was rather easy for me. There were a lot of good things, but plenty of bad to trump the good. There is plenty room for improvement, and the team will need to take a step forward in Week 2 to avoid starting the year 0-2.

BTSC Grade: B-