One thing all good teams seem to have in the NFL is identity. You either have it or you don’t. In recent years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for that identity, trying to figure out who — and what — they are.
Entering the 2024 season, they seem to have leaned into the hard-nosed, run-heavy, low-scoring football identity in today’s quick-strike world. They’ve built the roster specifically to match that with a star-studded defense, a nasty, physical offensive line, and two good running backs to lean on.
Despite that, one former Baltimore Raven believes the Steelers don’t have an identity entering the season. Wally Williams, an offensive lineman for the Ravens from 1996-98, says that the only identity the Steelers have is the “logo on the side of their helmet.”
Nothing more.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have any real identity other than the logo on the side of their helmet,” Williams said during an appearance on The Ed Block CourageCast, according to audio via the podcast. “I believe the aura and the mantra that they had, you know, proud, this was the toughest and big strong offensive line. And that was always their kind of mantra when you can win. I think that it dissipated. They’re trying to get back to that. Look at the last couple of drafts they’ve had. They’ve gone very physical, big tight end, big running back. And they’re trying to go into another direction with offensive linemen across the board. They’re trying to be a physical team and get back to that kind of play.
“But at best…and behind having the quarterbacks in [Justin] Fields and [Russell] Wilson there, I see them playing spoiler at best, man. I just think they’re a couple of years away from developing a true identity to get it back to establishing what they were years ago in that division.”
In recent years, the Steelers haven’t really had an identity, at least offensively. They have been a team led by its defense. One that gets after the quarterback in a major way, takes the football away, and wins low-scoring games. But it’s not been pretty offensively.
The hope is that in 2024, with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in the fold, a rebuilt offensive line featuring rookies Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, a two-headed monster at running back in Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and major upgrades under center in QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields that the Steelers will have a strong, consistent identity, preferably one that scores points.
Head coach Mike Tomlin stated after the 2024 NFL Draft that the Steelers want to “roll people” offensively, leaning on the run game. The Steelers want to play a real old-school style that Tomlin prescribes: run the football, limit mistakes, play good defense, and take the football away to create short fields, winning low-scoring games.
It might not match how the NFL largely is today, but the Steelers have the pieces in place to play that way in 2024 and be quite successful at it.
Maybe then the former Raven will understand the Steelers have an identity that is more than just the logo on the side of the helmet.
