The last several seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been anything special on the offensive side of the football. They finished 23rd in the league in total offense last season while ranking dead-last in TD passes while ranking 23rd in the league in total yards in 2021 and 24th in total yards in 2020. The offense has been a methodical, popgun style the last several seasons under OC Matt Canada as Ben Roethlisberger tried to get the ball out as quick as possible and the offense endured a QB chance last season, getting Kenny Pickett into the fold for his first exposure at the NFL level.
The offense put up 30+ points one-time last season, losing a high-scoring affair with the Bengals at home. However, the team took on the identity of running the football and relying on a stingy defense down the stretch of 2022, and seemingly has built this team to continue that bully ball trend into 2023.
Still, with the moves that Pittsburgh has made this offseason on offense and the natural progression of guys like Kenny Pickett and George Pickens heading into their sophomore seasons, is it unthinkable to think that Pittsburgh’s offense may be in for a big leap in 2023? While many will say that Canada or the offensive philosophy could hold the Steelers back offensively (which is a real possibility), the pieces are there for this offense to experience fireworks in ways they haven’t seen the last several seasons.
Obviously, it all starts with QB Kenny Pickett and the constantly repeated question of if he can take the necessary leap he needs to take to become a franchise-caliber QB in 2023. Some analysts have compared Pickett’s rookie season to that of fellow former first round pick Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he threw for 12 TDs and 17INTs as a rookie. However, Lawrence took a notable leap in Year Two, throwing for over 4,000 yards with a 66.3% completion rate and 25 TDs to only eight INTs, leading Jacksonville to a playoff berth. Pickett may not reach those heights in terms of passing yards but given how he cut down on his turnovers down the stretch, those TD and INT numbers are plausible for Pickett to attain.
In terms of the support system around Pickett, his offensive line has experienced an upgrade this offseason. The team signed an experienced veteran in OG Isaac Seumalo to play LG opposite RG James Daniels who played well in his first season in Pittsburgh last year along with C Mason Cole who represented himself well as a quality leader upfront. The team also drafted LT Broderick Jones who figures to start at some point during his rookie season, pushing Dan Moore Jr. to play his best football or get relegated to the bench. This improvement along the OL will only help the running game with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren proving to be a quality tandem down the stretch last season.
The weaponry around Pickett in the passing game also has vastly improved from last season. George Pickens is heading into his second season after showing flashes of brilliance as a rookie. Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth are established as two quality receivers at WR and TE, respectfully, acting as great possession receivers for Pickett. The team traded for veteran WR Allen Robinson II who has been a WR1 for most his NFL career to occupy the slot and give Pickett another reliable target over the middle and in the red zone.
Calvin Austin III is coming back from a foot injury and can provide a spark that this offense desperately needs in terms of game-changing speed near the LOS as well as stretching the field vertically. TE Darnell Washington should play right away in heavier packages, making a big impact in the running game as a blocker while being a huge (literally) mismatch in the passing game against linebackers and safeties over the middle of the field as well as near the goal line.
In summary, the pieces are there for Pittsburgh’s offense to experience fireworks in 2023. Kenny Pickett needs to deliver on all the weapons afforded to him as well as Matt Canada effectively call the offense, but the excuses are gone saying that the pieces aren’t there. The Jaguars went from last in the league in points and 27th in the league in yards in Lawrence’s rookie season to tenth in the league in both yards and points in 2022. Pittsburgh may not make that great of a leap in 2023, but it’s certainly realistic to see this offense get inside the top 15, if not the top 12 this coming season.
