If the Pittsburgh Steelers want a better finish in 2024, there’s three areas where the team must improve. We’ll leave out the mega-obvious, Matt Canada go-to “score more points,” though that is clearly the team’s top mission after scoring under 18 points per game in 2023. We’ll take it a step further with these three areas Pittsburgh must show progress.
Passing Touchdowns (13 in 2023)
Ok, so we’re not going that much deeper. Stats like passing touchdowns still scratch the surface. But when your quarterbacks combine for just 13 scores across a 17-game season, it’s impossible to ignore. Only the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets threw fewer touchdown passes than the Steelers did last season and over the combined past two years, Pittsburgh ranks dead last with 25.
Perhaps an offense could get away with that stat in 1952 (though the Steelers even threw 22 touchdown passes that year). It won’t work to become a playoff winner in 2024. Fortunately, a new-look quarterback room should boost the team’s stats. Russell Wilson has thrown for at least 20 scores in all but one season of his career, his 16-touchdown showing in 2021 with Denver the exception. We could dig further and point out the need to discuss the team’s Adjusted Net Yards Per Passing Attempt stat, which definitely needs to come up, but I’ll keep it simpler with something like passing touchdowns.
Though Pittsburgh will still be led by its ground game with hopefully many rushing scores, this offense needs to rejoin the 21st century when it comes to passing scores. Its recent production has been laughable.
First Quarter Scoring – 54 offensive points
Pittsburgh’s slow starts are nothing new. But they’re unacceptable. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith must get the Steelers rolling in the first quarter to mitigate the need for fourth quarter comebacks.
Including the playoff loss to Buffalo, Pittsburgh was outscored 84-61 in the first quarter last season. Take away a Steelers defensive touchdown, Alex Highsmith’s pick-six against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2, and the Steelers’ offense was outscored 84-54. That minus-30 margin puts Pittsburgh in holes it spends the next three quarters digging out of. And it isn’t a new or one-off issue. This has been a reoccurring problem year after year. It needs to end in 2024.
If there is any silver lining, the Steelers did get off to fast starts after firing Matt Canada. At least until the Wild Card game. Then they turned back into a pumpkin.
Defensive Explosive Plays (72 Allowed Of 20-Plus Yards)
Though the offense was the Steelers’ weaker unit last season, the defense wasn’t all roses. Pittsburgh allowed 72 plays of 20-plus yards, tied-26th in the NFL last year. Injuries played a big factor but it’s still a number that has to be cut down to size this season.
Unsurprisingly, about 90 percent of these plays came through the air. Pittsburgh gets back a healthy Minkah Fitzpatrick and Joey Porter Jr. is a budding star but there’s still questions about the overall strength of this secondary. A ferocious front seven will help but it’s not the cure-all.
Over the weekend, I’ll have a separate post dedicated to three stats that must stay the same.
