One thing has stayed constant in the National Football League: Mike Tomlin finishes above .500. And after some offseason additions and prioritization of improving the quarterback position, the Steelers appear to be ready to make the next push to contention. But are they? Welcome back to another edition of ‘The Super Bowl Race In The Perspective of Chase’, and today we will preview the Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 season.
2023 Season
In 2022, the Steelers were a 6-8 team that won three straight games to finish with a 9-8 record and come just shy of the postseason. But it was very promising to see an offense of young players like Kenny Pickett, George Pickens, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren shine like they did. So in 2023, many were wondering if the Steelers could take the next step in their game…but they didn’t. They were an okay team, and T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Minkah Fitzpatrick and others stayed sharp defensively. But Pickett wasn’t consistent enough, and injured, as the Steelers barely snuck their way into the postseason with Mason Rudolph at quarterback. That was only to get destroyed by Buffalo in the Wild Card round. So another season with a .500 or better record. But there was no postseason success to show for it for a seventh consecutive season, so changes needed to be made.
Offseason Additions and Losses
The Steelers finally wanted to make the push to contention. So their 3-QB room—Mitch Trubisky, Rudolph and 2022 first rounder Pickett—all have found new homes. Instead, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson to a one year deal worth just over $1 million and traded low-value draft capital for Justin Fields. Wow. What a turnaround! They get Wilson while Denver pays the $39 million on his salary, and a young, elusive QB who just helped his team nearly reach a postseason spot. Wilson is expected to start, but they got both of them for very little value in return. Additionally, the Steelers stole Patrick Queen from the divisional rival Ravens. He will be a huge addition to their defense. They did lose Diontae Johnson to Carolina, but they also added Cordarrelle Patterson, Van Jefferson and DeShon Elliott. Overall, the Steelers improved. But whether they can be contenders is a whole other question.
X-Factor: Jaylen Warren
Warren is one of the more under appreciated players in the NFL. He was the RB2 in Pittsburgh last year behind a productive and always healthy Harris (he hasn’t missed a game yet in his NFL career), but it didn’t stop him from stockpiling close to 1200 yards of scrimmage. Almost just as many as Harris with close to 70 less touches. I believe Warren will start to get those RB1 opportunities in both the rushing and receiving game. He is elusive, efficient, quick and does an incredible job at getting by defenders. I think he’ll be considered a top ten running back in football next year. And if Pittsburgh can have that next to Harris, it’s only going to improve their offense so much more.
Reason for Concern: Wilson is Not a Super Bowl Winning QB Anymore
Russell Wilson is a future Hall of Famer. In his close to decade-long prime, Wilson was an MVP level signal caller who led the Seahawks to many championship games, two Super Bowls and a Super Bowl title. He’s one of the greatest QB’s of all time. However, he is no longer that type of player. The elusiveness and ability to extend plays is just not there anymore. The deep ball is less accurate and less consistent. And the play that used to be textbook for Wilson are no longer guarantees. It’s ok. He’s 35 years old. And it’s an improvement over Pickett or whoever else could’ve been QB for them. However, it’s not like they improved to a Super Bowl caliber QB at this point in his career. And if they’re reliant on the improvement of the quarterback play, they will eventually stall out.
Reason for Promise: They Beat the AFC North
The AFC North has always been considered one of the best and toughest divisions in football. For one, everyone hates each other. There is aggression and physicality in every one of the division showdowns, especially in Ravens/Steelers showdowns. However—in what appears to be the toughest group of teams to play against—Pittsburgh dominates. It’s hardly competitive. They went 5-1 in division play in 2023, 4-2 in 2022. And they’ve killed Baltimore. They have a 7-1 record against Baltimore over the last four seasons, which includes a 3-0 record against 2x MVP Lamar Jackson. And it makes sense. That’s why Pittsburgh is always .500 or better. Mike Tomlin prepares his boys—no matter how talented they are—for battle, and that’s when the Steelers become dangerous. That’s why Tomlin is one of the best coaches in football. So if the Steelers sneak into the playoffs, their consistent success against talented and physical rosters will help them get prepared for postseason football. No matter how talented they are.
Prediction
The season will go on. The Steelers will have their good moments and they’ll have their bad ones. They’ll be considered contenders and pretenders throughout the season. But I will tell you…they’ll win nine or more games. That’s what Mike Tomlin does. They do have a very tough schedule, and it’s very hard to be this good consistently against a division like the north. Pittsburgh is not a contender if they sneak into the playoffs. But they can be a scary team at times throughout the season.
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