With The Hall of Fame Game now in the rearview mirror and Week One of the NFL preseason fast approaching, everyone is making their last-minute calls on potential breakouts, sleepers, and busts for the 2023 season. Another often-made projection by members of the media is the final standings of each team prior to the season getting underway. Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently came out with his divisional standings before Week 1 of the preseason, projecting the Pittsburgh Steelers to finish 9-8 record and third in the AFC North.
“Steelers fans aren’t going to want to hear this, but Pittsburgh will probably be one of the most boring teams in the league this year,” Davenport wrote. “The defense will be excellent. The offense will struggle at times. The Steelers will be a tough out from week to week, but not a legitimate playoff threat. Hey—at least Mike Tomlin’s streak of non-losing seasons will stay alive.”
The Steelers finished above the Cleveland Browns with a 7-10 record in Davenport’s standings. The Baltimore Ravens ranked second in the division with a 11-6 record while the Cincinnati Bengals held the top spot with a 12-5 projected record.
For a team that has added plenty of talent on both sides of the football this offseason and has several notable young players, including QB Kenny Pickett and WR George Pickens taking a step forward into their second seasons, Davenport decided to give the Steelers the same record they had last year. To be fair, Pittsburgh finishing with a 9-8 record in 2022 after the dreadful start it had was a bit of an anomaly, but calling the Steelers one of the most boring teams in the league in 2023 seems a bit premature given the moves the team made this offseason.
The Steelers signed a bevy of free agents, including OG Isaac Seumalo to beef up the offensive line as well as CB Patrick Peterson, ILBs Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Kwon Alexander to remake the linebacker room, and DBs Patrick Peterson and Keanu Neal to build up the secondary. They traded for veteran WR Allen Robinson II to add a proven playmaker to the group and drafted the likes of OT Broderick Jones, CB Joey Porter Jr., DL Keeanu Benton, and TE Darnell Washington. Those rookies figure to play early in the season, if not push for starting jobs.
Pair all of these notable additions with the natural progression of Pickett from Year One to Year Two, Pittsburgh is primed to take a meaningful step forward in 2023, especially on the offensive side of the football. They may not be a prolific passing offense, but with the beefed-up skill positions as well as a strong running game, the Steelers should be a more exciting team to watch on the offensive side of the football, giving them a good chance to outplay their projected 9-8 record.
