There’s nothing quite like football lists in May. Everything we need to know about the upcoming football season we already know right after the draft, right? What else could possibly happen over the course of the next several months to through off our expectations?
So when I see a list from the league’s website ranking the best offenses in the league, I know I’m dealing with something that is the real deal, the gospel, the actual fact of the matter. Now that we’re approaching the middle of May, we can safely declare that the Pittsburgh Steelers definitely, absolutely have the third-best offense in the league.
According to Chris Wesseling, anyway. He ranked the Steelers behind the New Orleans Saints, at the top of the list, and the New England Patriots, placing second. He believes that the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers are the other teams that round out the top five.
Wesseling used four different groups to grade, those obviously being the quarterback, the backfield, the receiving corps, and the offensive line. The worst grade that he gave out to any group for Pittsburgh was actually at quarterback, receiving a B+.
Unfortunately he didn’t really offer much interesting to say about the position, which also included rehashing the falsehood that Ben Roethlisberger was contemplating his future after the five-interception game. He did point out that Roethlisberger has only played 16 games three times, meaning that the backup position is valuable.
The backfield received the highest grade, a straight A. Le’Veon Bell “carried the offense through Roethlisberger’s early-season slump last fall, but suffered a drop-off in efficiency from the heights of his magical 2016 season”, he said.
“While his Pittsburgh future is in question, he should provide All-Pro production for at least one more year. The Steelers have selected Conner and Samuels in back-to-back drafts, leaving them in better position to survive an injury or suspension”.
The receiving corps and the offensive line were both given A- grades. Again, he offered little of substance here, but at least added a “don’t sleep on” for Vance McDonald, whom the Steelers are hoping will have a big season at tight end.
“Who can boast a more stable offensive line than Pittsburgh?”, Wesseling wrote. “The starting five have played together for three seasons, excelling in pass protection and establishing rare synchronicity with Bell’s trademark running style”.
For those wondering, he graded the top 10 offense and offered four more teams who were “knocking on the door”. None of those other offenses were in the AFC North.
