Mark Madden: Steelers would be better served letting Kenny Pickett, passing game take more risks downfield

The Steelers scored two touchdowns from outside the red zone last season, fewest in the NFL. Last Oct. 30 against the Steelers, Philadelphia scored four touchdowns from outside the red zone in just over 32 minutes. The Eagles scored those four TDs before ever running a play in the red zone.

The Steelers’ longest touchdown last season was a mere 31-yard pass from Kenneth Pickett to George Pickens, and it took till Week 18 to get it.

The Steelers registered 52 plays of 20 yards or more last season. Only five teams had fewer.

The Steelers threw the ball 54.9% of the time last season. Cincinnati did it 62.2%, Kansas City 61.2%, Buffalo 59.4%. Those are the AFC’s elite teams. The Steelers missed the playoffs.

The NFL scores more and faster.

The Steelers want to grind out drives and play elite defense.

Mike Tomlin doesn’t get it, won’t get it and would rather be mediocre indulging a Steelers mindset rooted in the ’70s than find out if the Steelers can execute the modern method.

They might not be able to. Tomlin might know that. Living in his fears might be part of this. (This is on Tomlin, not offensive coordinator Matt Canada.)

Maybe the Steelers will move forward philosophically, emboldened by Pickett having a year under his belt.

But it sure doesn’t sound that way.

Training camp’s early days have featured Tomlin babbling about solving the offense’s problems in the red zone.

Tomlin says he’s got “no idea.” It might help if 6-foot-5 tight end Pat Freiermuth got more than two touchdowns, his total last year.

How about scoring from outside the red zone? (Tomlin did mention the need for “chunk plays.”) Long drives make mistakes more likely.

Pickett talked about handing the ball to Najee Harris.

How about throwing it downfield to Pickens? (It won’t be long before Pickens gets mad.)

The saving grace is that the Steelers’ prehistoric method keeps games close and enables them to beat bad teams. The Steelers can outlast the lesser but are too often catching up to the better.

That keeps the Steelers in contention but not for very much.

If the Steelers do make the postseason, their style won’t enable them to defeat an elite quarterback in a playoff game. You won’t beat Patrick Mahomes 17-14. You’ve got to score more and faster. Witness getting routed by Kansas City 42-21 in the first round of the playoffs two seasons ago.

Not enough “chunk plays,” I guess.

Lack of risk will never produce enough reward. It will produce 9-8.

I’ve often said that Tomlin’s coaching isn’t necessarily done with an eye toward preserving his streak of no losing seasons. Lately, I’m not so sure.

Can Pickett outgun Mahomes or Joe Burrow or Josh Allen? I’m not sure.

But the Steelers should find out. Because to help T.J. Watt finally get a playoff win, that probably has to happen. (Plan B is for the opposition or their quarterback to fall apart on the given day. Anybody can get lucky.)

Pickett was drafted 20th overall. Why make him into a game manager already? Give him a legit shot at being a latter-day big-time quarterback. Let him play like a first-round pick. Take more deep shots, and not just the safe variety down the sideline.

Last year’s too-basic offense could have been better run by Mitch Trubisky. In fact, it was.

Pickett won’t get blamed. He’s got that arrow in his quiver.

But it’s frustrating to see too many unconditionally buy into a method that hasn’t achieved anything significant in quite some time.