Limiting mistakes is huge for a quarterback, whose miscues are typically measured in things such as interceptions and fumbles.
Limiting mistakes for an offense as a whole is measured a little differently.
While people can easily point to the big mistakes made by a quarterback in terms of his turnover numbers, picking out how an offense, in general, is making critical errors is a little less visible.
Except on the scoreboard.
And that's where the Steelers are still making a critical error here or there early in games according to quarterback Kenny Pickett.
A sack here or a penalty there negates some of the good things the offense has done early in games, and that's led to an overall lack of production in the first half of games.
"I think we hurt ourselves a little bit with penalties early in this game for sure, set ourselves back behind the chain with some negative plays," Pickett said Wednesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex while referring to the team's 24-17 win last Sunday against the Rams.
"We didn't do that – or we limited it a little bit – in the second half. We still had some but not as crucial as the ones we had I think in the first half."
It's been something of a recurring theme for the Steelers, who have struggled to score points early in games this season, only to come storming back in three of their four wins to get to 4-2 heading into Sunday's game at Acrisure Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2).
In the win over the Rams the Steelers got an 8-yard on first down on the opening play of the game on a pass from Pickett to running back Najee Harris, only to give five yards of it back on a sack on second down when the Rams sent an unblocked blitzer.
A holding penalty and 5-yard loss on their second possession turned a second-and-4 at the Los Angeles 42-yard line into third-and-9.
And on their third possession, Diontae Johnson had a catch go inside the Los Angeles 27 called back due to an illegal blindside block penalty called on George Pickens that forced the Steelers into a long field goal attempt.
The Steelers were moving the ball early against the Rams, but the mistakes were costly ones.
And it's not been a singular event.
Some have blamed offensive coordinator Matt Canada's early-game scripts for the Steelers' lack of early scoring – they have just one offensive touchdown in the first quarter this season. But eliminating those little mistakes would go a long way toward correcting some of those issues.
"It's a guy here, or there a penalty or a sack or a negative run that puts you behind the chains and you get out of those plays," Pickett said of the script. "You're obviously not going to stay on script. We're behind the chains. So that's what we're hunting. Just keep the positive plays we get, a three- or two-yard run. It's okay we're staying on schedule. Just keep moving that way."
The opposite has largely been true in the second halves of games this season. The Steelers have heated up over the game's final 30 minutes, especially in each of their past two games. They scored 14 points in the second half in a 17-10 win over the Ravens in Week 5, then came out of their bye last week to put 21 points on the board against the Rams.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday the Steelers use their early-game scripting not only in an attempt to score, but also to learn different things about the defense in terms of what looks they'll get against certain alignments.
When you learn those things, you can get the defense in some advantageous situations.
"I think there's some things that you kind of wait for situations to have that perfect call," Pickett said. "You don't want to leave the stadium without calling it but you also want to hopefully put yourself in the most advantageous look to get it, which we were able to do in that fourth quarter. So it's all about timing with those plays and how we want to call them."
And that's when Pickett's big-game mentality can take over, as well.
He's now led five fourth-quarter comebacks in his young career, including two this season.
•Dale Lolley is co-host of "SNR Drive" on Steelers Nation Radio. Subscribe to the podcast here: Apple Podcast | iHeart Podcast
His teammates have learned Pickett typically rises to the moment.
"He's steady Eddie. He's a winner," said center Mason Cole. "In those big moments, he performs and executes. I think we're starting to see that pretty consistently now."
What the Steelers would like to see more of, however, is consistent scoring so that Pickett doesn't need to come from behind quite as much.
"You hope it goes as planned," Pickett said. "Sometimes, you're going to have plays where you've got to adjust on the fly and do some different things. (The Rams) gave us some different looks early on that we didn't see on tape, and that throws a wrench into your plans of the script that you have lined up to do so."
