The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: Would it be a ‘surprise’ if the Steelers reached the playoffs?
It’s been interesting to watch the coverage of the Steelers this offseason. In spite of the great amount of praise the team has received for the moves made, both in free agency and in the draft, many still see them finishing in the middle of the pack, anywhere between 8 to 10 wins, and being on the cusp of the playoffs.
An example of the sort of ‘positive’ coverage we’ve seen would be a recent spot on ESPN by Herm Edwards, in which he chose the Steelers as his ‘surprise’ playoff team. Now, of course, picking a surprise team is the premise of the bit, but it does seem to correspond to many of the general takeaways we’ve seen for Pittsburgh.
But would it really be a surprise if the Steelers reached the playoffs? Now, many would argue that they are only the third-best, maybe even the worst team in the AFC North, and that’s always a deep hole to dig out of, though it’s theoretically possible for all four teams in a division to advance, three is wildcards.
The Steelers split with all of their AFC North opponents last year and finished 9-8 on the season, going 7-2 after the bye week, with one loss coming from their backup quarterback in a game in which he threw three interceptions. They only narrowly missed the playoffs.
By just about any measure, they are expected to be better this year. That would suggest to me that they are closer to a playoff berth in 2023 than they were last year. I’m really not sure how to break this question down. Do you think they’ll make the playoffs? Would you be surprised if they did? Should we be surprised?
