The regular season is almost here, and with it will come a pivotal season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and there is some unrest in the fan base due to that. They made some major improvements to their team this offseason, so while they have a tough schedule, there’s hope they can be a serious playoff team. Former NFL offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles doesn’t seem to believe that the Steelers have any chance at the playoffs though.
Sirles was in the league from 2014-2018, and he now serves as more of an analyst on his The O-Line Committee podcast. On a recent episode, he discussed why he believes the Steelers won’t make the playoffs.
“Their defense is still ridiculous, but they just can’t score points,” Sirles said. “They can’t score points. They are anemic.”
It’s fair to criticize the Steelers’ offense because they have looked awful for the past few years. However, they made changes this year that should at least make them better than last year. Even with Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph all getting a crack at the starting quarterback job last season, they somehow made the playoffs. That was on top of Matt Canada’s play calling.
It isn’t surprising that Sirles doesn’t believe that the Steelers offense will be better. Not too long ago, his co-host, former NFL offensive lineman Alex Boone, tore Arthur Smith’s offense apart. They just don’t believe that the Steelers will be able to score with Smith calling plays, which is odd.
Smith struggled as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, but he was an amazing offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans. And the Steelers are built in a similar way to those Titans teams. They’re going to run the ball often, utilize play-action, and try not to force their quarterback to be a hero. They might not be as explosive as the Kansas City Chiefs, but they should be better than they were last year.
Also, the starting offense showed signs of life in the Steelers’ final preseason game. The starters did get forced into an early third and long, but Russell Wilson connected with George Pickens to keep the drive alive. A big run by Cordarrelle Patterson capped that drive with a touchdown, showing that the Steelers can score points.
Week 1 is only days away, and if the Steelers manage to have a good offensive game and beat the Atlanta Falcons, it would be a nice step toward proving Sirles and Boone wrong. If the Steelers’ offense is even average this season, they should make the playoffs. Their defense should still be elite, and if the offense gives it some support, the Steelers should improve on last year.
