The Steelers dramatically altered the roster on both sides of the ball in the offseason for a reason, but this much hasn't changed:

The importance of being able to run and stop the run.

And if the Steelers' season-opening 34-32 victory over the Jets was any indication, they need work on both of those aspects of their operation.

"Average at best," offensive coordinator Arthur Smith assessed of a running game that generated 53 yards on 20 carries, a 2.7-yard average per attempt, against the Jets.

"We just didn't play well in a lot of areas," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin acknowledged of a run defense that gave up 182 yards on 27 carries, a 4.7 average, and three rushing touchdowns.

The good news is the run-stop-the-run equation wasn't a deal-breaker against the Jets.

The offense r

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