Connor Heyward speaks for the whole Pittsburgh Steelers locker room when he expresses confidence in their abilities this season. While they face heavy skepticism from the outside, those in the building believe they have a winning roster right now. So much so, in fact, that perhaps the only team that can beat them is themselves.
“We’ve got weapons on both sides of the field. Just putting it all together, going out there and just being focused, everybody being on their assignment”, Heyward said of the Steelers on his brother’s Not Just Football podcast. “I feel like if we lose this year, it would be us beating ourselves compared to somebody beating us. Because anybody can get the ball, and anybody can make a play. And then our defense, we got guys at every level”.
Now, let’s be honest, there is probably at least one player who says this on almost every team every year. This year, it’s Connor Heyward saying it about his Steelers, and he’s probably not the only one. But I think they really do believe in their roster right now, and for the offense, that has a lot to do with the new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.
Heyward also raved about Smith and his usage of the tight ends, surely hoping for a workload boost himself. But he knows he has to share the love, particularly in his own position group. Aside from himself, the Steelers also have Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, and MyCole Pruitt, each with their own distinct skill sets.
In reality, so much about this Steelers team that provides the optimism is preliminary. In terms of offense, a lot of it rides on the offensive line, where they’ve made investments while awaiting results. The running back tandem is stable, but we’re dealing with an entirely new and questionable quarterback room. Heyward, of course, has dutifully praised Pittsburgh’s passers, and taken the opportunity to get in extra work.
Almost everybody, probably including Connor Heyward, has more optimism about the defense. They still have T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward, and Alex Highsmith. To that core they’ve added Patrick Queen, DeShon Elliott, and Donte Jackson while emerging second-year players. Joey Porter Jr., Keeanu Benton, and Nick Herbig could all be big for the defense, and the team, this year.
Heyward does acknowledge that the Steelers can beat the Steelers, and they have a history of that. They certainly go through periods of sloppy execution and poor discipline, and I don’t see that suddenly changing. This is a frustrating team to watch, and that pattern is bound to continue in 2024.
