The Steelers' defense got four takeaways and a touchdown against the Buccaneers on Monday night, but the same unit almost cost Pittsburgh the game.
Luckily, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger saved the night — and possibly the Steelers' high hopes for 2018.
WATCH: Big Ben's best plays vs. Bucs
Every bit of Roethlisberger's big game (30-of-38, 353 yards, 3 TDs, INT) was needed to out-duel the Bucs' Ryan Fitzpatrick (30-of-50, 411 yards, 3 TDs), who would have been the winning QB had he avoided any of his three interceptions, including a pick six.
The Steelers' 30-27 escape after nearly blowing a 30-10 halftime lead was a respite rather than a solution for their biggest problems at 1-1-1 — a pass defense that ranks No. 29 and a scoring defense that's tied for No. 30. Not helping matters is the fact that Pittsburgh's remaining schedule is full of teams with high-powered passing attacks.
The Buccaneers remain No. 1 in passing yards, and the Steelers' opponent last week, the Chiefs, are now No. 7. The Ravens, who play in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, are No. 9. The Falcons (No. 11), Bengals (No. 12), Chargers (No. 10), Raiders (No. 6) and Saints (No. 3) are also on the slate.
That's eight games against teams that currently rank within the top dozen passing offenses, and the list does not include matchups against Cam Newton's Panthers and Tom Brady's Patriots.
WATCH: Fitzpatrick puts up 400 on Steelers D
Any team that gets picked apart in the passing game also needs to be able to throw often to either keep up or make a comeback. The Steelers, tied for the second most pass attempts in the NFL over three games (139), can do that.
Running back James Conner has done an admirable job filling in for Le'Veon Bell, but the Steelers are in no position to grind out games on the ground. They need to throw, throw and throw some more early and often — and there's nothing wrong with that plan for a team that has Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Pittsburgh also will keep getting help in the passing game from Conner, rookie receiver James Washington, tight end Vance McDonald and, maybe, gadget player Ryan Switzer.
The Steelers' aggressiveness in the passing game contributed to the comfortable lead against the Bucs, and with that lead, their defense also was able to play aggressively and force some turnovers. But the Pittsburgh blown coverages, over-pursuit issues and other mental lapses that almost resulted in a Tampa comeback will keep resurfacing.
The concept of playing ball control to help the defense is stale. The Steelers, like the Chiefs and Saints, are better equipped to excel at fire-away, not keep-away. Roethlisberger has plenty of weapons, and a case can be made that he doesn't throw to arguably the NFL's best wide receiver duo, Brown and Smith-Schuster, as much as he should.
Such a game plan puts a passer at a greater risk. Not only does Roethlisberger have the frame to handle the pressure, but he'll have the protection, too. On Monday, the Steelers were missing guard David DeCastro and tackle Marcus Gilbert on the right side of the offensive line, and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva had a rough, penalty-riddled night. When those three are back healthy and playing well, the line will hold up for Roethlisberger.
MORE: Week 4 NFL power rankings
The Steelers need to let Roethlisberger keep letting it rip because he has the skills, but also because they need the points.
Given how the defense is playing, if the offense doesn't embrace going all in on Big Ben, Pittsburgh's Super Bowl chances will soon be dashed.
