During an offseason in which veterans such as cornerback Patrick Peterson, guard Isaac Seumalo and linebackers Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts were added via free agency, and wide receiver Allen Robinson II was acquired via trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers look to be in rather good shape heading into the 2023 season.
GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, in their first full offseason in charge of the roster, have put together quite the offseason overall, nailing a number of free agent signings while hitting a handful of home runs in the 2023 NFL Draft.
For Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame, appearing on a recent episode of the Minus Three podcast with host Dave Dameshek under Omaha Productions for ESPN, the Steelers are quite the interesting team that could surprise many, in large part due to their strong defense and a schedule that “is a joke” this season.
“So I actually really like the roster; [Kenny] Pickett is the thing that scares me. But the last point I will make their schedule is a joke outside of their division,” Verderame said to Dameshek, according to video via the Extra Points YouTube page. “You have to steal your schedule. I mean, there’s not too many games where you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s a loss.’ I mean, they could be a pretty average team and win 10 or 11 games. Like, here’s my hot take with them. Every year there’s a team, you’ll look at ’em and you’re like, I don’t know how that team’s in the playoffs or the 11 wins, but here they are.
“I think the Steelers are gonna be that team this year. When you look at ’em, the Giants were that team last year. I have no idea how this team is a six seed, but here we are and they won a playoff game. I think the Steelers could be that team this year.”
The Steelers’ 2023 schedule is rather easy compared to the gauntlet they had to work through during the 2022 season in which they started 2-6 and ultimately finished 9-8 overall. Currently, the Steelers have the 11th-easiest schedule in the NFL.
AFC North play will be rather difficult in 2023 once again as the Cleveland Browns are entering Year 2 of the Deshaun Watson era, which should be better, while the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens remain rather loaded top to bottom again under star quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson.
Pittsburgh gets a bit of a break in the schedule this season though, playing the AFC South compared to the AFC East last season. The Steelers will get the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans as part of their non-division schedule. Only the Jaguars seem like a formidable opponent right now, at least on paper.
On paper, the schedule looks easier. However, that’s why they play the games, and the Steelers are going to have to play consistently, not play down to their competition, and start the season the way they ended 2022. That said, when the season kicks off, the schedule might end up looking a lot harder than it does as we sit here now in mid-May projecting quite a bit a few months ahead.
I think the Steelers can put together a playoff-worthy season regardless of their schedule. The problem with making these lists now though is you never really know how a team is going to perform on the field. You can’t project 2023 performance solely based off 2022 performance.
With a strong defense led by stars in outside linebacker T.J. Watt, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, not to mention the emergence of quarterback Kenny Pickett in Year 2 with running back Najee Harris and receivers Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, things look rather bright for the Steelers.
If the schedule turns out to be a “joke,” like Verderame believes it is currently, and Pickett takes a Year 2 leap coupled with the defense remaining healthy and playing high-end football, the Steelers should be a legitimate contender in 2023.
