The 33rd Team released its first 2023 power rankings this week, and the Pittsburgh Steelers came in at No. 16.
“The Steelers enter 2023 with a top-10 defense that has top-five upside. High-performing, physical defenses have been the norm in Pittsburgh for a long time. If the Steelers are going to improve, it will be on their offense. Pittsburgh has a good, young skill group and they improved its offensive line this offseason. If second-year QB Kenny Pickett can take a step forward, the Steelers can be a playoff team,” Ryan Reynolds writes.
Coming in at No. 16 is fair given that we haven’t seen Pittsburgh’s offense in the regular season. The offensive improvement might be real, but we have to see it in the regular season and for a full four quarters before we can anoint it as such. I’m confident that the offense will be better, but ranking Pittsburgh much higher probably wouldn’t make a ton of sense.
While some teams that are ahead of them (the New Orleans Saints at No. 14 stand out) don’t make a lot of sense, you could generally make an argument for every other team that’s ahead of them. For what it’s worth, I’m confident that the Steelers will outplay this ranking and finish the year higher, but strictly judging on what we know now, I don’t have a huge issue with it.
The Steelers’ No. 16 ranking came in at No. 3 in the AFC North, behind the third-ranked Cincinnati Bengals and eighth-ranked Baltimore Ravens. The Cleveland Browns came in one spot behind the Steelers at No. 17.
With the improvements the Steelers made this offseason, it’s hard to foresee them not being in the mix for the playoffs, and likely being a playoff team. With the improved offensive line, Pickett will be better and the run game will be better.
With Pickett’s preseason strides and performance, the run game, particularly Najee Harris, has been lost in the shuffle a little bit. Harris is still this team’s No. 1 running back, and his body is suited for AFC North football. While Jaylen Warren is still a key piece to this team, Harris is going to have a big year behind the Steelers’ offensive line.
Defensively, this is going to be a hard team to do much against. T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Cameron Heyward, and even Larry Ogunjobi should be able to get after the passer, creating opportunities for ballhawks like Minkah Fitzpatrick, Patrick Peterson and Damontae Kazee to force turnovers and give the offense short fields.
This defense could help make the offense better by forcing three-and-outs and turnovers. The defense has been and will be the hallmark of the Steelers, and it will be a top-10 unit again this year.
It should be a fun year in Pittsburgh, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Steelers inside the top 12 or even top 10 in these power rankings come year end.
