Much has been said this offseason about the Pittsburgh Steelers embracing the bully-ball mentality that they picked up down the stretch of the 2022 season, finding their offensive identity in their running game while playing stingy defense to keep the opponent’s score down and control the clock to win close games.
HC Mike Tomlin mentioned that Pittsburgh intends to do more of the same in 2023, but the expectation is that the passing game will also be able to take a notable leap forward this season with Kenny Pickett entering his second season.
Pickett spoke to the media upon arriving to Latrobe for training camp and was asked about the offensive identity this team intends to have in 2023.
“We need balance,” Pickett said to the media Wednesday via video from Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan’s Twitter page. “I think that’s the key to success in this league. You can’t be one-dimensional, so I’m excited to see what that looks like and push the ball down the field and hand it off to [Najee Harris] and see what he can do. I know he’s been working really hard, so I think we have a really well-balanced team this year. That’s what I want to see.”
While OC Matt Canada and the rest of the coaching staff may want to take some pressure off Pickett with a strong running game, Pickett needs to be able to effectively captain this offense on scoring drives through the air. Last season, Pittsburgh’s passing game struggled mightily to establish any sort of consistency, finishing dead last in the NFL in TD passes while ranking 24th in passing yards and 25th in net yards gained per passing attempt.
If Pickett is to become Pittsburgh’s franchise quarterback, this team needs to have a well-balanced offense that can beat you through the air as well as on the ground. The Steelers have a bell cow back in Najee Harris as well as a capable backup in Jaylen Warren, but they also have surrounded Pickett with a host of pass catching weapons to help him make that second-year leap.
The Steelers may lean on the running game more than other teams this season, but they must be able to complement that with an effective passing game. The Steelers haven’t had a well-rounded offense for the last couple of seasons, but Pickett expects that change in 2023.
