The Pittsburgh Steelers are going into the 2024 NFL season with a few big changes, especially on the offensive side of the ball. They have a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. They’ll have a new starting quarterback, likely Russell Wilson but potentially Justin Fields (at least at some point). And WR George Pickens is now the undisputed top dog in the wide receiver room after the team traded WR Diontae Johnson this offseason.
That’s a lot of change and uncertainty headed into an NFL season. Then when you look at how brutal the Steelers’ schedule is this season, expectations can be pretty low.
“It’s going to be a dogfight for them,” analyst and former NFL DL Mike Golic Sr. said on Tuesday’s episode of GoJo and Golic. “I don’t think it’s a team that, if you’re down 14, they’ll be great at coming back. They must get into some mudslinging, phone booth-type fights to win their games. I don’t see them being a surprise, big-time double-digit win team this year.”
.@golic on the Russell Wilson lead Pittsburgh Steelers being a Mid-Level NFL Team this season:
“It’s going to be a dog fight for them. I don’t think it’s a team that, if you’re down 14, they will be great at coming back. They must get into some mudslinging, phonebooth-type… pic.twitter.com/HkATYo6nMo
— GoJo and Golic (@GoJoandGolic) July 23, 2024
It’s hard to predict the Steelers will win a lot of games this year on paper. How long will it take for the offense to come together? Will a wide receiver step up opposite Pickens or will TE Pat Freiermuth get the second-most passing targets on the team? How will the rebuilt offensive line look?
And how the heck will the Steelers handle an incredibly tough schedule that is backloaded with the AFC North and short weeks?
Golic isn’t wrong that the Steelers will likely have to get into tough fights to win the majority of their games. The good thing for Steelers fans is that this is a team that is pretty darn comfortable doing so.
In 2023, the Steelers were in 11 one-score games. They won nine of them. And that was with an offense that failed to score 30 or more points until Week 16. The Steelers are used to being in rock fights, and they have proven that they can win them. Analyst Ryan Fowler credits head coach Mike Tomlin with keeping the team competitive and undoubtedly is the reason they can win these close games.
Would Pittsburgh prefer more comfortable wins? Absolutely, and so would the fans. But Tomlin and the Steelers have proven that they can get in old-fashioned fights in this league and win. That ability will be tested in 2024. But it could prove vital for navigating a tough schedule.
