4 Mistakes WWE made on SmackDown

This week's episode of SmackDown was a pivotal stop on the Road to WrestleMania. WWE's biggest event of the year is just two weeks away and fans saw the feuds and storylines shift gears. From Kevin Owens' massive announcement to CM Punk's revelation of the favor, major things took place on the blue brand.

While the show did push several storylines forward in a big way, it still felt a bit flat due to a few creative missteps. There were several things questionable on SmackDown, from a top star's direction for The Show of Shows to a major championship picture.

Let's take a look at four mistakes WWE made on SmackDown:

4. Leaving Braun Strowman directionless for WrestleMania 41

Braun Strowman faced Jacob Fatu in a Last Man Standing match on the show to determine the Number One Contender for the United States Championship. Even though Strowman put up a big fight, he failed to defeat The Samoan Werewolf. With another tough loss, the former Universal Champion again finds himself without a clear path.

WrestleMania 41 is days ahead, and Strowman seems to have taken an exit from the United States Title picture. His feud with Fatu seems to be done as well, leaving fans scratching their heads about what the 41-year-old could be doing at The Show of Shows. WWE failed to provide Braun Strowman with any direction on last night's SmackDown.

3. No progression in the Solo Sikoa-Jacob Fatu rift on SmackDown

WWE has been teasing a rift between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu for the past few weeks. There were reports that the two stars could face each other at WrestleMania 41. However, after hinting at a potential breakup, WWE took a backseat in the progression of this story, and the trend continued this week as well.

There was no real follow-up to the growing rivalry between The Samoan Werewolf and The Street Champion. It has seemingly cooled the momentum of their anticipated storyline. With Jacob Fatu now heading in a different direction for 'Mania, the build-up fans were hoping for seems to have completely lost its steam on SmackDown.

2. No storyline progression for the WWE Tag Team Championship feud

The WWE Tag Team Title picture was very hot for the last few months, featuring multiple tag teams such as Motor City Machine Guns, Street Profits, #DIY, and Pretty Deadly. Fans were expecting a multi-team showdown at The Show of Shows this year. But the once-hot title picture has seemingly lost its track after what happened this week on SmackDown.

Last night, MCMG defeated #DIY to become the number contenders for the WWE Tag Team Titles. It was a very random move that gave no progression to the multiple tag team angle WWE has been teasing for months. The creative team should have provided a major push to the story that was heavily missing from the show considering WrestleMania is just 14 days away.

1. Not revealing the WrestleMania status of the Women's United States Title on SmackDown

When the Women's United States Championship was introduced, the WWE Universe was hoping it would get a solid showing at The Grandest Stage of Them All. But so far, there has been no real direction for the title. Chelsea Green has been bouncing between random feuds over the past few months, with no credible story for WrestleMania.

Last night's SmackDown was a key opportunity for WWE to build a meaningful title match for Green at The Show of Shows, but nothing actually happened. With no significant storyline in place, Green is unlikely to defend her title in Las Vegas. That is undeniably a huge creative mistake that Triple H could have avoided.