The wait is finally over. Week One of the NFL season is here!
A night after the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs’ matchup last night, Pro Football Focus released its power rankings for the opening week.
Despite being listed by many as a sleeper team this offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves on the back half of the list.
Amelia Probst, an analyst for PFF, placed the Black and Gold at 18th for the Week One Power Rankings.
“QB Kenny Pickett performed above expectations as a rookie quarterback,” she wrote. “He was 15th in WAR at the position (1.82), yet his receiving corps ranked 18th in receiving grade. They also finished dead last in explosive plays and yards after the catch per reception. To improve this season, they need to find ways to make big plays.”
A step forward for Pickett and the offense has been the focus of the Steelers throughout the offseason. Last year, the team was dreadful when trying to break big plays, ranking dead last in YAC at 4.0. Making matters worse, in 2022 the group rarely attacked downfield with Pickett’s adjusted yards per passing attempt at 5.5. That ranked 33rd out of the 33 qualified quarterbacks.
The team was still able to churn out wins with a slow, methodical rushing offense, but to Probst’s point, Pittsburgh needs more chunk plays to be successful in the modern NFL. Luckily, it seems the Steelers are trending that way.
Based on the preseason, the team seems poised to break more big plays than last season with Jaylen Warren, Pat Freiermuth, George Pickens, and Diontae Johnson all cashing in on significant gains.
Much has been made of Pickett’s impressive preseason, but it has also been warranted. The second-year man had a flawless passer rating in three games at 158.3, while going 13-of-15 for 199 yards and two touchdowns. Moreover, the team scored a touchdown on all five drives Pickett was under center. In fact, PFF even graded him as the top player in the preseason at 94.7.
The article also pointed to the importance of T.J. Watt returning to the team this season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle last year. The injury forced the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year to miss seven games, of which the Steelers lost six.
The team finished as PFF’s 18th-graded defense last season but still held a chance to make the playoffs until the final week of the regular season. If the Steelers stay healthy and Matt Canada’s offense pushes the ball down the field with more consistency, expect to see the team climb the rankings in the coming weeks.
