The challenge with having such a mixed bag of performance last year and ending up with only a slightly above mediocre record of 9-8 is it’s easy to forget something important.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were clearly on the rise when the regular season ended.
Following the BYE week in the beginning of November the team went on a rather impressive win streak besting their opponents in seven of their last nine games.
Yes, Pittsburgh was on a real tear and that was before adding in the Spring talent that represents what most experts are saying is one of the team’s best drafts in the past decade.
(If you haven’t read the first two articles in this Forecast series about the New Kids, hit those up first.)
CLICK HERE: 2023-24 Forecast – The New Kids (Part One)
CLICK HERE: 2023-24 Forecast – The New Kids (Part Two)
So, if you take a team on a winning streak, add to it some talented rookies as well as quality free agents and well… it’s easy to get pretty fired up about this season.
What led the way in the team’s resurgence after such a woeful start? You’ll have to credit the offense for making up the most ground. Literally on the ground.
How will this unit perform in the upcoming season? Let’s give it a Spin.
Quarterbacks
As is typically the case at Steeler’s home turf (I’m still struggling to call it Acrisure Stadium still) it’s the fans in the stands with all the answers.
While Coach Mike Tomlin was threatening (I think that’s the proper terminology) to stick with Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills castoff Mitch Trubisky the entire season, the fans had different, and apparently better-informed ideas.
Kenny…Kenny…Kenny.
Local University of Pittsburgh legend and Steelers 2022 first-round selection Kenny Pickett took over the offense and the hope is that it signaled the start of a new, glorious era for the Black and Gold.
Pickett had much to do with the team’s change of fortunes, although it must be said he was not statistically impressive. This is why many of the league’s prognosticators aren’t ready to declare him NFL prime.
That can be expected when you have people outside of the organization looking at numbers rather than the games themselves.
From the beginning, there was something special about the young man, and he remains the brightest glimmer of hope for the franchise this year and well into the future.
However, it would be premature to say definitively that Pittsburgh has found its next franchise quarterback. Pickett was erratic at times, looked lost on others…and appeared to be over his head on many occasions.
You know. He kind of looked like a rookie quarterback.
This is the testing ground season. Can he improve his completion rate and his performance in the red zone? If he can, there is no more important arrow up on this Steelers offense.
As far as his backups, Pittsburgh finds itself in a unique position of having two competent players in the bullpen. It’s unlikely that both Trubisky and Mason Rudolph will survive trade offers beyond the end of the preseason, but they both made excellent decisions in staying with an organization that takes good care of its backup quarterbacks.
Just ask Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich.
It might well be one of the best jobs in the league.
Offensive Line
It’s easy to point to Pickett as a key reason the Steelers started consistently gaining more yards on offense, but a keen eye would recognize the level of growth in last year’s O-Line.
Perhaps no coach performed better than Pat Meyer last year in weaving together a group of misfits into a steady team of performers.
No one was going to confuse them with the league’s premium blend, but the improvement was so noticeable that it was somewhat surprising the Steelers made big moves in strengthening this unit even further.
None was bigger than using their number one draft pick on LT Broderick Jones (who we’ve already discussed in the first article of this series), but right there as well was the impact of adding one of the NFL’s best guards in Isaac Seumalo. Adding G Nate Herbig will contribute high-quality depth to the unit as well.
These new additions will combine their talents with G James Daniel, who remains one of the higher-rated players on the team.
Lastly, it can’t be understated how big of a push that TE Darnell Washington will be able to add to the pile. Let’s get ready to rumble!
Running Backs
RB Najee Harris might be suffering early in his career from the Steelers front office putting the cart in front of the horse. As impressive as his rookie year was two years ago, it began with his having to run behind an offensive line seemingly incapable of opening up holes.
Last year was a different issue in that Harris got the holes, but sometimes couldn’t find his way to running through them.
Hopefully, this is the year it all comes together for the young, uber-talented, Steelers running back. He has all the requirements in speed, strength, and elusiveness to be consistently among the top five at his position in the league for years to come.
Perhaps most impressive was the emergence of RB Jaylen Warren who did nothing but sparkle every time they called his number. His ability to sweep left and right with power and enthusiasm opened more than a few eyes around the NFL.
Still, the team’s eggs will almost all remain firmly in the basket of Harris and this is his year to show he can be trusted with all that precious cargo.
Wide Receivers
If you read the first articles of this series (and you have, haven’t you???) then you know it brought the Spin tremendous joy that the Steelers did NOT choose a wide receiver in this draft.
Although they’ve done well with their selections of recent, you can’t build a dynasty on the back of 22 wide receivers. Somebody has to block. Not everyone can be posting on TikTok.
Instead, the Steelers chose my preferred route for restocking the inventory by getting a bargain basement deal on a receiver who was considered to be among the league’s best just a couple of years hence.
Allen Robinson II may end up being one of the top “under the radar” free agency acquisitions this year. The former Penn State player knows his way around town and seems to fit the Steelers profile to a tee. Unless there is some underlying injury that would prohibit him from returning to form, his provision of maturity, experience and loads of skill are going to have a hugely positive impact on this squad.
Oh yeah… you’ve got one of the league’s most exciting new players in George Pickens, one of the most elusive receivers in Diontae Johnson and we still don’t know what kind of gold lies in last year’s selection of Calvin Austin III.
There are a host of others with the capability of providing impressive depth and occasional flash.
Yes. We are loaded. And that was even without squandering precious draft picks on the position this year.
Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth continues to grow in his role of reminding us of Heath Miller, Zach Gentry has his unique set of tools to bring to the table and now we have the ultimate “X Factor” in the addition of Washington.
For several years, the tight ends of this team have merely been pawns on the chessboard, but we’re going to have a hard time keeping our eyes off this group this year.
Remember when the Steelers struggled to get in the end zone? That drought should end this season, and the tight ends will have a lot to contribute to this torrential rain.
Coaching
Usually the best is saved for last but….sigh…Matt Canada as the offensive coordinator? Last year it was shocking (and somewhat disappointing) that he kept his job.
There was no way this offseason that Tomlin would be stubborn and defy Steelers Nation (and frankly most of the NFL’s experts) and give him another year in the booth, eh? But here we are.
We wish there was a long history of Tomlin ignoring the desires of the masses…only to be proved ultimately right. But providing solid evidence that we’re just mindless blowhards has never been his strength.
Tomlin kept his guy. Let’s hope we all were wrong this time around…for once. Truthfully, you’d have to work hard not to have at least a capable offense with the level of young talent this team now possesses.
As mentioned, Meyer is a good assistant coach and there are others as well with great clay to mold and the capable hands to do so.
Steelers Offense Forecast Conclusion?
We don’t know if young Kenny Pickett is the next Joe Montana…or a new version of Mike Tomczak. We won’t have to wait long to find out. The answer to that question is even more important than who it is that is calling the plays.
If Pickett is the real deal, and if Canada has cards under his sleeve we haven’t seen yet, then this could be the beginning of a potent Steelers offense capable of being among the best for years to come.
Can you wait to see them play out those “X’s” and “O’s”? I surely can’t.
UP NEXT…2023/24 FORECAST OF THE STEELERS DEFENSE
