How to Fix the Steelers
The NFL offseason will be in full swing before we know it, with coaching changes, free agency and the NFL draft reshaping the 2023 fantasy football landscape. With that in mind, the Fantasy Life squad is breaking down every NFL team to determine what went wrong in 2022 and identify paths to improvement. Who knows, maybe an NFL GM will read this and realize those fantasy nerds aren’t so crazy after all – we all want the same thing, more points and more wins!!!
Team Summary
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the model of consistency. While some teams churn through head coaches like I churn through cartons of ice cream, the Steelers have somehow had only three head coaches since 1969. That is remarkable. Chuck Noll led the squad for 23 years, followed by Bill Cowher for another 15.
Mike Tomlin has been at the helm since 2007, and in his 16 years as head coach, the team has never posted a losing record. Even in what was largely a subpar season for them last year, the team won six of their final seven games to finish 9-8.
The Steelers have also historically been a team with tremendous stability at quarterback. Guys like Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger have guided the team through their golden eras, and now Kenny Pickett will get his opportunity. He wasn’t overly impressive as a rookie, but he had enough positive moments to give the team some optimism moving forward.
What do the Steelers have to do to get back into the playoffs next season? Let’s break it down.
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Set Kenny Pickett Up for Success
On the surface, Pickett’s numbers were ultimately pretty disappointing. He finished with more interceptions (nine) than touchdown passes (seven), and he averaged just 5.5 adjusted yards per attempt. That ranked dead-last among 33 qualified passers.
However, Pickett displayed one of the most useful traits that a young quarterback can possess: fearlessness. He engineered four game-winning drives in his 12 starts, and he delivered some beautiful passes when they were most needed:
Pickett’s passing numbers are also only part of the story. He’s a capable runner, racking up 237 yards and three scores on the ground in the 2022 season. No one is going to confuse him with Michael Vick, but his 4.73 40-yard dash time puts him in the 75th percentile at the quarterback position.
Add it all up and Pickett graded out pretty well at the position. He ranked 18th among 39 quarterbacks, putting him in the same ballpark as guys like Daniel Jones (17th), Jared Goff (20th), and Dak Prescott (21st). Those players are all going to cost their respective teams way more money than Pickett next season – especially if Jones is really asking for $45M per year – which puts the Steelers in a solid spot at the position.
Jan 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) looks for a receiver against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
Now, the Steelers need to do everything possible to maximize the rest of their roster.
The Steelers are currently in the middle of the pack in terms of cap space, checking in just slightly above the expected figure of $224.8M. However, they should be able to open up some additional room for spending. Cutting the disappointing Chuma Okorafor – who ranked 61st out of 81 qualified tackles – would open up nearly $7M, and releasing Miles Jack would free up another $8M. They could also choose to move on from Mitch Trubisky, which would save the team an additional $8M. Add in some restructured contracts, and the Steelers should be able to get themselves well below the cap.
That should allow the team to be aggressive in free agency.
I would start by looking at the offensive line, which was merely average last season. Specifically, both of their offensive tackles ranked 57th or worse per PFF, while their interior blockers were much more respectable.
Orlando Brown Jr. is considered one of the biggest prizes in free agency, and he would be a huge upgrade if the Steelers could land him. Jawaan Taylor, Mike McGlinchey, and Kaleb McGary would also be solid additions, with all three players ranking inside the top 20 on CBS Sports’ free agent big board.
The team could also certainly use another pass-catcher. Diontae Johnson is a very dependable chain-mover and George Pickens turned in a solid rookie season. That said, the team lacks a true No. 1 option at the position. Both players were outside the top-44 at receiver per PFF, and the cupboard is pretty bare behind them.
The Steelers have a long track record of success when it comes to drafting receivers, so don’t be surprised if they take another shot at the position in 2023. The team has two second round picks – No. 32 and No. 49 – and there are plenty of talented pass-catchers who could be available in that range. Somebody like Kayshon Boutte would be an interesting fit. He is a freak athlete who should test extremely well at the combine, and he would give the Steelers a legit burner at the position. Overall, he seems like the perfect complement to a route-running specialist like Johnson and a big-bodied threat like Pickens.
Keep T.J. Watt Healthy
Regardless of what the Steelers do on offense, they’re still going to be a defense-first team. They’ve been that way for most of their history, and their defense remains one of the best units in the league when at full strength.
Last year’s unit was far from full strength, particularly when it came to their best player.
Watt took home the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021-22, finishing with a record-tying 22.5 sacks. He led the league in sacks in the previous season, and he led the NFL in tackles for loss in both years as well.
Unsurprisingly, Watt’s health had a drastic impact on the Steelers last year. He missed seven games from Week 2 through Week 8, and the Steelers went just 1-6 in those contests. They weren’t terrible defensively sans Watt, but they allowed 29 points to the Browns and 24 points to the Jets during that stretch. Neither of those teams were offensive juggernauts.
After Watt returned to the lineup following the team’s Week 9 bye, they allowed 17 points or fewer to eight of their final nine opponents. The lone exception was a game against the Bengals, and there’s no shame in getting lit up by Joe Burrow. The Steelers also managed to beat the Bengals in Cincinnati in Week 1, which was the game where Watt suffered his injury.
Ultimately, the Steelers went 8-2 with their MVP in the lineup. If he played for the entire year, there’s a very good chance that the Steelers would have qualified for the postseason instead of watching from home.
If Watt can stay healthy for all of next year, the Steelers should boast one of the best defenses once again. Watt, Cameron Hayward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick all stand out among the best players in football at their respective positions. They could still use an upgrade defensively here and there, but for the most part, this team is ready to contend on that side of the ball.
Figure Out What to Do With Najee Harris
It’s only been two seasons, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that drafting Harris in the first round was a mistake. You could argue that drafting any running back in the first round is a mistake, but there are special players that might be worth making an exception for. Bijan Robinson will likely be a first-round pick this season, and guys like Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley were generational talents.
Harris clearly does not fall into that company.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl in his rookie season, but that was due more to his tremendous volume than anything else. He led the league with 381 touches, but he averaged a paltry 3.9 yards per carry. He was also mediocre as a pass-catcher, and he ultimately finished the season ranked 30th out of 62 qualifiers at the position per PFF.
Harris set the bar pretty low coming into his second season, but he arguably took a step backward. He averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, and he was also far less productive in the passing game.
With that in mind, it’s not surprising that Harris started to lose some work to Jaylen Warren down the stretch. Warren averaged just under nine carries per game over his final four contests, and he took over as the team’s primary pass-catcher out of the backfield. He was significantly more efficient than Harris in his limited touches, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 7.6 yards per reception on the year.
It’s always difficult to admit that you messed up, but the Steelers need to stop compounding their mistakes with Harris. Pittsburgh ranked 25th in yards per carry last season, and there’s no reason they should be that low. They ranked 10th in the league in adjusted line yards, but they were 26th in RB yards. That suggests that the issue is Harris more than anything else.
Giving Warren more playing time in 2023 should help fix their rushing attack, which should in turn help Pickett. And if the Steelers’ offense can get to league-average, they’re going to win plenty of games on the back of their defense.
Pittsburgh Steelers Najee Harris (22) stiff arms Las Vegas Raiders Luke Masterson (59) during the first half at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on December 24, 2022. Pittsburgh Steelers Vs Las Vegas Raiders Week 16
