The Athletic put out its pre-training camp NFL power rankings, and the Pittsburgh Steelers came in dead last in the AFC North by a pretty wide margin. The Steelers ranked No. 20 in the league, putting them six spots lower than the Cincinnati Bengals, who ranked No. 14. The Baltimore Ravens were ranked No. 5, while the Cleveland Browns came in at No. 6.
Josh Kendall writes that Pittsburgh’s “offensive mix” could be the reason the team has its first losing season under Mike Tomlin — or the reason why the team has success.
“After 17 almost maddeningly consistent seasons in Pittsburgh, it seems like coach Mike Tomlin is going one way or the other in a big way this year. He has two new quarterbacks who come from starting jobs — Russell Wilson and Justin Fields — and a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. Tomlin has never had a losing season in Pittsburgh, but this offensive mix might end that. Or it might rejuvenate a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. Wilson and Fields both bring dynamic talents to the mix, and Smith has a good history with athletic quarterbacks. It should be fun to watch either way,” Kendall wrote.
The quarterback situation is going to be a major factor in just how good the Steelers can be this season, with Wilson likely getting the first crack to start. Pittsburgh’s final eight games are one of the hardest stretches the team has played in a long time, but the beginning of the season isn’t a cakewalk either. Wilson needs to be dialed in from the get-go and the Steelers will have to play well early.
If they stumble out of the gate, the playoffs don’t seem likely, and a losing season won’t be out of the question. There are a lot of factors that will determine Pittsburgh’s success, but quarterback play will be up there as the most important. Even with the offense wanting to rely on the ground game and a defense that has won games for the Steelers in the past, it’s not going to be as easy given their opponents this season. Wilson will need to show he can make the throws he’s asked to and hopefully had some explosives to Pittsburgh’s offense with his deep ball.
If that happens, the Steelers will be a lot better than the No. 20 team in the NFL. But with the uncertainty of how Wilson will look after two subpar years in Denver, it’s a fair preseason ranking. But it’s one that hopefully doesn’t hold throughout the season. If it does, Pittsburgh might be turning to Fields at some point this season.
