Throughout the 2023 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done one thing consistently, no matter what: play some ugly football.
Somehow though, the Steelers are 5-3 on the season, even while being out-gained in every game this year. In fact, the Steelers are the only team in NFL history to have a winning record while being out-gained in the first eight games. Thirty-four other teams have been out-gained in the first eight games of the year, but the Steelers are the only team with a winning record.
That’s rather remarkable.
Coming off of a win Thursday night in primetime against the Tennessee Titans to open Week Nine, the Steelers won ugly again, needing a late fourth-quarter drive — once again — from quarterback Kenny Pickett to pick up the win. For former Steelers offensive lineman and current Steelers Radio Network sideline analyst Max Starks, who appeared on Mad Dog Sports Radio Thursday with former NFL tight end George Wrighster, the Steelers are becoming “less ugly” this year after some things went there way Thursday night.
“…A lot of things that were just kind of hanging over this team, came to fruition tonight,” Starks said Thursday to Wrighster following the Steelers’ 20-16 win, according to audio via Mad Dog Sports Radio. “… There was a lot of good things there that are ugly, that are turning less ugly. We got one less zit on our face as we go into this break before we see the Green Bay Packers.”
That’s quite the way to describe things from Starks, but it’s true coming out of the win over the Titans.
Pittsburgh made some changes offensively, bringing offensive coordinator Matt Canada down to the sideline, getting him out of the booth to have him closer to the offensive pieces, making it easier to communicate throughout games. That gave him a better feel for the game, and it led to him calling a strong game against the Titans.
That game featured the Steelers scoring an opening-drive touchdown, which is quite rare, and had the Steelers put together one of the best rushing performances in the Canada era. There was good balance and rhythm to Pittsburgh’s offensive attack on the day, and the players all stated they liked how things worked with Canada on the sideline.
The Steelers also took right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor out of the lineup and inserted rookie Broderick Jones on a short week. The rookie, in his first snaps at right tackle in the NFL, performed quite well, helping the Steelers’ offensive line keep Pickett upright and clean just a few days after being knocked from the Week Eight loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a rib injury.
Pittsburgh also helped wide receiver Diontae Johnson find the end zone for the first time in 655 days, scoring his first touchdown since hauling in a. 13-yard strike from former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a 42-21 Wild Card round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
With that ominous streak broken and Canada now on the sideline, not to mention a change in the trenches, things turned out well for the Steelers. Starks sees a less ugly, group, if that makes sense, with one less zit on their faces. It’s like a young adult going through puberty. Could the Steelers be on the downward slope of that maturation process?
Time will tell.
