The Pittsburgh Steelers rebuilt their offense this offseason after finishing in the bottom 10 in the NFL in points and yards per game each of the last two seasons. It seemed like they upgraded significantly at quarterback with the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, as well as offensive coordinator with the hiring of Arthur Smith. However, a disappointing showing in the preseason has some analysts and fans questioning whether these “upgrades” are really going to make a major difference in the offense’s output.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen released a list of 10 things he learned in the preseason, and number five on his list was that the “Steelers offense isn’t as improved as they hoped.”
“The Steelers moved on from the worst quarterback in the league, acquired two new ones, and hired a new offensive coordinator,” Nguyen wrote. “They should be better on offense than they were last season, right? I think they will, but how much better is the question? Will they be good enough to knock out one of the top contenders in the AFC in the playoffs? The Steelers finished 27th in expected points added (EPA) per play last season. They’ll be a much better team if they can finish in the 15-20 range. I think they can do it, and I think Fields should be the starter because he gives them the threat of the QB run game, but it will be ugly — no matter who is the starter — early in the season.”
I wouldn’t exactly call Kenny Pickett the worst quarterback in the league, but he’s certainly not good. Yet, he showed more last preseason than either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields did this year. This should be a lesson in not taking too much stock in preseason performances. That being said, from Wilson struggling to get rid of the ball and taking too many sacks, Fields having fumble issues on snaps, and both quarterbacks failing to sustain drives consistently, it’s reasonable to be concerned about the offense heading into Week 1.
The quarterback play was bad, but the offensive line may have been even worse.
Second-year offensive tackle Broderick Jones was predicted by many to be the Steelers’ main breakout candidate in 2024. While he’s been dealing with an elbow injury, he was still deemed healthy enough to start all three preseason games, and he looked pretty awful. Playing right tackle, he looked completely out of sorts in pass protection. His punch timing was off, and he gave up multiple sacks as a result. Jones wasn’t the only lineman who struggled. The entire offensive line generated very little push in the run game, and both the starters and backups were unable to give Fields and Wilson much time to throw.
Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith planned for the line to spearhead the offense this season. They hoped to dominate in the trenches and establish the run with the combination of backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, making the jobs of Wilson and Fields a whole lot easier.
The line is young and there’s lots of room to grow, but as Nguyen mentioned in his article, the offense might look ugly in the beginning of the season. The Steelers have the most difficult schedule in the NFL following their Week 9 bye, so they can’t really afford more than a few weeks of growing pains.
Fortunately, the Steelers should have one of the strongest defenses in the league, led by arguably the NFL’s best pass-rushing units, and a deeper, improved linebacker room. On top of that, Mike Tomlin is familiar with winning ugly, as he took one of the worst offenses in the league to the playoffs last season.
I speak for all Steelers fans when I say that we’re desperate for an offense that’s more enjoyable to watch, and despite the preseason struggles, I think the offense will find its form sooner rather than later. Wilson and Fields have proven their ability to make explosive plays, and they should be fired up to fight for the starting job as the season ensues. The offense needs to take a major leap if the Steelers are going to compete with the top teams in the AFC and win their first playoff game in eight years.
