Will the Steelers defense be carrying the offense again in 2024?
The Steelers historically have typically been one of the top defenses for the past half a century and then some. There is some ebb and flow, but rarely are they a unit that opponents don’t take seriously. The 2024 edition of the Steelers defense certainly seems to look imposing on paper, but the offense is another story.
Despite hiring a new, experienced offensive coordinator, the Steelers’ offense still looks like it’s spinning its tires. Despite completely turning over the quarterback room, they are still not delivering beyond the minimum often enough. And despite the major investments, the offensive line shows major causes for concern.
The Steelers and Arthur Smith understand how important the offensive line is to any success they might have. However, the offensive line they are currently showing does not look like one that can be successful. Granted, we are not looking at the final form right now, including the absence of first-round T Troy Fautanu. Turnover will always come with growing pains, which one hopes they can overcome more quickly this year.
But things are not looking too good. The Steelers are barely finding the end zone and have only done so with Kyle Allen thus far. Justin Fields has brought them to the doorstep, only for the Steelers to squander possession-down opportunities.
And what’s going on with Broderick Jones, or is he dealing with a short-term injury? Despite the praise for his training camp, he does not look like a former first-round pick, at least inside stadiums. The Steelers only have so much time to correct many problems with the offense before the games start to count.
At the same time, we do have to understand the preseason for what it is, and arguably defensed are advantaged. It’s easier, on the whole, to play defense without scheme and game-planning than it is to play offense. However, the Steelers will typically scheme for the third preseason game. One can only hope we see a much more respectable performance against the Lions before the regular season.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are in training camp and the preseason and the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
