The Steelers and Patriots are attempting to get by without quarterbacks via coaching
Great coaches include Mike Tomlin and Bill Belichick. With limited offenses in the wrong era, their clubs are more in need of them than ever this season.
Discover the NFL’s competitors by taking a look around. Almost all of them are led by All-World quarterbacks who run outstanding offenses. Additionally, they have great coaching staffs married to them.
Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur, Josh Allen and Sean McDermott, Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay, and Patrick Mahomes are some examples of the quarterback duos.
Then there are the exceptional quarterbacks who don’t have a coach who can hold them to a comparable standard, like Tom Brady and Todd Bowles, Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor, Justin Herbert and Brandon Staley, etc.
You’ll observe that those teams can all freely score points. Welcome to the NFL of today.
The coaches in both New England and Pittsburgh are above reproach. Bill Belichick, who leads both teams into their Week 2 matchup at Acrisure Stadium, has eight Super Bowl rings, including six as the head coach.
In his 15th season as the Steelers’ head coach, Mike Tomlin hasn’t had a single losing campaign and has led his team to two Super Bowl appearances and a championship.
However, they are both connected to hostile environments that are either constrained or unsurmountable.
As the de facto general manager, Belichick feels that he is accountable for the catastrophe.
No explosive playmaker is present at either location on the depth chart despite the fact that New England boasts the most expensive bunch of receivers and tight ends (by combined ’22 cap hits).
Hunter Henry and Jakobi Meyers are both good targets, but neither is keeping the opposition defensive coordinators up at night.
Despite having a good rookie season at center, Mac Jones doesn’t seem to have a particularly high ceiling. It’s a meager future for a first-round choice. And when Jones is teamed with Matt Patricia, a former defensive coach and unsuccessful head coach, as his play-caller, calamity ensues.
Being well-coached is insufficient in the AFC of today, which is full of quarterbacks. A star under center who can lift those around him is also necessary.
The Patriots’ offense put up seven more points in Week 1 than it did against them. Jones had the poorest QBR in the league (9.7). The statistic is supported by the footage, which shows Jones missing wide-open targets, tossing a poor interception in the end zone, and frequently checking down.
However, blaming Jones for the failure would be oversimplifying a complex issue, highlighted by receivers who are unable to separate and a coordinator who has no business in his position.
All of this comes down to Belichick, who, despite being arguably the best coach in NFL history, has recently made costly draft mistakes and overspent on the wrong players.
Now it’s up to him to save himself by cunning deception.
The issue in Pittsburgh is distinct.
Kenny Pickett, a rookie quarterback who was selected in the first round by the Steelers, is currently sitting on the bench behind seasoned journeyman Mitchell Trubisky.
Last Sunday, despite the Cincinnati Bengals’ five turnovers, Trubisky was basically terrible, averaging just 5.1 yards per attempt while the offense only managed to score 16 points.
Even though the Steelers pulled off a miraculous victory in the Queen City, Trubisky’s flaws and a terrible offensive line pose a serious threat to the team’s future. Tomlin obviously is aware of this, which is why the ensuing query is so intriguing.
If the Steelers keep winning, even though their next three games are against the Patriots, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets, but the offense is in a rut, should head coach Mike Tomlin start his rookie in the hopes of giving him a boost, or should he shield him from the upcoming difficult schedule?
That is the query that, in Tomlin’s opinion, may determine the Pittsburgh season. There is no denying the Steelers’ superior offense, but Trubisky can be either a game manager or a saboteur depending on the day.
Although both Belichick and Tomlin are geniuses on the sidelines, their respective offenses both have a deadly defect behind center that hinders them, albeit in different ways.
Pickett may be able to salvage the Steelers, but the Patriots must find a way to play up Jones’ virtues and downplay his flaws, as offensive coordinator and current head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders Josh McDaniels did so expertly last season.
The odds favor Pittsburgh and New England to remain in the playoff hunt, with one or both of them even making it to the postseason. That is the result of excellent coaching, discipline, and situational football.
Being well-coached isn’t enough in the AFC of today, which is full of quarterbacks. A star under center who can lift those around him is also necessary.
The Patriots and Steelers each only possess 50% of the necessary ingredients for success.
