Heading into the 2023 NFL season, many Pittsburgh Steeler fans had a renewed sense of energy, something they had not felt since their last playoff win in Jan. 2017.
Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett reportedly made huge strides in development with the goal of spearheading one of the premier offenses in the league. Reaffirming these beliefs was a 3-0 preseason where Pittsburgh utterly dominated.
Despite being major underdogs in their season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers, these moments in the offseason gave everyone in the Steel City hope that the black-and-gold would power through.
Instead was the exact opposite. The offense destined for greatness faltered, putting up just one score in a 30-7 home loss. In typical Steeler fashion, the franchise infamous for making every single game stressful for its fans, the season was incredibly volatile. Wins came in games they were expected to lose and losses came when there was seemingly no way that they would not win.
The offense, one of the big bright spots of the offseason, continued its struggles from the previous few seasons and was once more one of the statistically worst in the league. Firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada in the middle of the year made some fans regain hope, but Pickett injuring his ankle and backup Mitch Trubisky playing poorly continued to make things difficult for the Steelers.
Now sitting at 7-7 and in the hunt for a playoff spot, Pittsburgh needs production on offense more than ever. Changes are being made with third-stringer Mason Rudolph given the nod at QB this week against Cincinnati, but is there still seriously a chance that they could qualify for the playoffs?
The short answer is yes. With consistent play from the offense and the defense which has struggled due to linebacker and secondary injuries, the Steelers are as much in the hunt as any other franchise. That being said, the odds of all that falling into place are slimmer than one would imagine. Play-calling continues to be mediocre offensively and the weakness at QB creates more of a struggle in production.
One objective that many have is to target the talented receiving corps more, which could help see more efficiency within the offense. Sophomore Keaton Wagner commented, “I think if [the Steelers] can get [their] wide receivers the ball farther down the field [their] season can respond to the negativity.”
If Rudolph is able to play the game of his life and adjustments happen, this team can make the postseason. Trace McSorley, currently on the practice squad, continues to be a solid option to explore in the event that the Oklahoma State product Rudolph fails to produce.
While this season’s initial goal was to go far into the playoffs, things must be adjusted. At this point, though it is a possibility, seeing Pittsburgh instead experiment with other choices would be much more beneficial. It looks more and more likely that changes within the franchise will be made and, at this point, giving deserving players their shot to prove their worth is incredibly valuable with there being absolutely nothing to lose.
Who knows, if McSorley, for example, steps in and excels, the season can at least be looked at as partially successful. On top of that, making these moves could always be positive and also in turn bolster their chances of even winning a playoff game down the line. All in all, working on developing younger or more inexperienced players is much more important at this point in the campaign.
Fans are ready for change and in order for this team to get out of its rut, give players their rightfully deserved moment to prove themselves as NFL-caliber athletes.
