In today’s NFL, the name of the game is offense. While the Pittsburgh Steelers are attempting to build a suffocating defense (as the team should), the offense still needs to be productive. After the Steelers came off the field Tuesday, second-year running back Jaylen Warren talked with Ashley Kaiser of Black and Gold Nation and WTRF 7 News about developments during OTAs.
“You can really tell that as a unit, we’re all coming together,” Warren said. “The chemistry is really building you can tell. We’re all really comfortable, starting to trust each other.”
That should be music to fans’ ears in regard to an offense that ranked 23rd in the league with 322.6 total offensive yards per game. The passing game ranked 24th in passing yards per game with 200.6, 16th in rushing yards per game with 121.9, and 26th in points per game with 18.1 There’s obviously a lot that goes into that including roster makeup, inexperience, and play calling. General manager Omar Khan made moves during the offseason to shore up areas of need on the offense. He signed guard Isaac Seumalo, who is fresh off a Super Bowl appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles. He drafted offensive tackle Broderick Jones to compete for a spot on the offensive line as well as tight end Darnell Washington to help improve the run game. He signed guard Nate Herbig to shore up interior offensive line depth as well as traded for wide receiver Allen Robinson II.
All the talent addition is great and much needed. The offense has more talent and is deeper than it was at the end of the 2022 season. However, talent alone won’t fix the problems with the Steelers’ offense.
That’s where Warren’s comments come into play. Those new additions on the offensive line need to be able to communicate effectively and understand where each other will be on a given play. Seumalo brings veteran experience that no other offensive lineman on the roster has. He knows what it’s like to be on a contender so he can help bring the other offensive linemen along. Robinson has a number of years in the league as a productive wide receiver and can help potential breakout star, George Pickens.
The talent needs to be on the same page, communicate effectively, and work as a unit. It makes everyone better and helps the offense operate more smoothly. Sure, there will be hiccups along the way; there always are. However, OTAs are the perfect environment for the different position groups and the offense as a whole to grow together and for chemistry to form. Per Warren, that’s been happening so far. Hopefully, that will continue to play out as we get closer to training camp and then the season.
