Looking at it subjectively, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't have a great season in 2022. Finishing strong with a shot at the playoffs heading into Week 18 and ultimately a winning record were unexpected bonuses, but those aren't reasons to be satisfied with the outcome of Kenny Pickett's rookie year. There are plenty of improvements to be made amongst the players and coaching staff.
There have likely already been discussions about how to improve and while all three phases of the game were inconsistent, Pittsburgh led the league in a category that should absolutely raise some questions inside the franchise's building.
Steelers offensive coordinator, Matt Canada is on the field at practice during the 2022 training camp. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
There's no doubt the team's offense struggled with creativity once again in 2022. Screen passes and jet sweeps were prominent while catching defenses off guard seemed pretty much nonexistent. At times, the Pickett-led unit looked extremely promising. Those moments came late in games toward the end of the season when the only option was to be aggressive.
For the most part, the group was ineffective at the end of promising drives. Pittsburgh had the most field goal attempts in the entire NFL and it certainly didn't help that kicker, Chris Boswell barely converted 70 percent of his attempts. His inconsistency paired with the inability to get in the end zone cost the organization a playoff berth.
Steelers kicker, Chris Boswell (#9) lines up to kick a field goal against the New York Jets during a 2022 regular season game against the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
A red zone touchdown percentage of under 52 percent was in the bottom half of the league for Pittsburgh. The NFL is no longer a league where defense rules all. Just look at the two teams preparing for Super Bowl LVII. An embarrassing 12 touchdown passes was the worst in the league and one of them wasn't even thrown by a quarterback.
The Steelers only scored 29 touchdowns which was tied for the second-worst in the league. For those statisticians out there, that's good for less than two touchdowns per game. Teams can't win with those kinds of numbers nowadays and a mixture of Canada's complacency and Head Coach Mike Tomlin's seeming lack of trust in the offense led to the most field goal attempts throughout the 17-game season.
Taking a look at one of the more successful offenses in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles had the second least amount of field goals attempted and the second most first downs with 385. Philadelphia also came in at #4 in the league with 32 fourth-down conversions and an incredible 69 percent conversion rate. The combination of all those stats has led to the team being the favorite in the Super Bowl.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin addresses the fans at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA during the team’s training camp in 2022. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Points are points. Field goals are an essential part of remaining in games and even prevailing at the end. But, leading the league in attempts is a testament to the fact that the offense couldn't perform well enough in the opponent's territory. Canada earned a chance to play out the final year of his contract due to a 7-2 finish, but his unit needs to find the end zone a lot more in 2023.
Does the fact that the Steelers led the NFL in field goal attempts in 2022 concern you? Let us know in the comments below!
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