As the NFL season approached in Pittsburgh, expectations were high. The storied franchise entered the season right in the thick of a perilous AFC North Division, with curious odds to make the postseason. However, this season has been a challenge as the team competes to make the playoffs for the third time in the last six seasons. Let's look at how the season is going and what to expect going forward.
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Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett and Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
2023 Mid-Season Review
After missing the playoffs in 2022, it would have made sense for expectations to be low in 2023. However, the end of last season gave fans hope. The team began 2022 with a 2-6 record, partially due to 2021 Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt missing weeks 2-8. During that stretch, the Steelers went 1-6.
However, once Watt returned, Pittsburgh finished the season by winning seven of their last nine games, just narrowly missing the playoffs in a stacked AFC with a 9-8 record. The hot streak also extended Head Coach Mike Tomlin's seemingly impossible streak of 17 consecutive seasons without a losing record, the type of stat you expect to see on BetMGM Sports.
With Watt, the defense looked like one of the best in football, and with one of the best head coaches in the league, the playoffs weren't out of reach for 2023. However, the season hasn't gone as planned. The offense ranks 29th out of 32 teams in points per game at just over 16 and 30th in yards per game. Second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett is arguably the primary cause of their struggles; he ended last season on a high note with a few big wins, but hasn't taken a step forward.
The defense, on the other hand, while good, hasn't been great. The Watt-led unit is middle of the pack in yards per game and points against, serviceable, but not enough to overcome a stagnant offense.
Pittsburgh got hammered 30-7 at home to open the season by the San Francisco 49ers and couldn't do anything offensively. After winning their next two games, they were beaten again, this time by the Houston Texans to the tune of a 30-6 score. Heading to the bye week, the Steelers sat at 3-2, with impressive wins against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, both at home.
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Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith pushes off a tackler during his interception return against the Cleveland Browns during Week 2 of 2023.
Recent Performances
The Steelers got an early bye week, taking their break during Week 6. Since then, it has been more of the same. That is to say, the offense has been inconsistent. They won their first game out of the bye in Los Angeles against a Rams team to improve to 4-2. However, it required a fourth-quarter comeback. Despite the win, Los Angeles outgained and barely reached the 300 total-yard mark.
The following week, the offense was held hostage by a pretty mediocre defense in the Jacksonville Jaguars, gaining just 261 yards and scoring just 10 points. Worse, Pickett was knocked out of the game with a rib injury. Backup Mitchell Trubisky, who started last season as the Steelers' starter, came in and struggled. The Jags intercepted him twice, and the game was never really in question.
What Is To Come For The Steelers
Despite their struggles on offense, Pittsburgh finds themselves sitting at 4-3 and just 1.5 games behind the Ravens for the division lead. They also currently hold the tiebreaker over Baltimore and Cleveland thanks to their wins against both teams this season. However, the Steelers have been outscored by 34 points and have the worst point differential in their division.
Luckily for Pittsburgh, only a few teams have an easier remaining schedule. The season ends with a brutal stretch against Cincinnati, Seattle, and Baltimore, but in between, they play Tennessee, Green Bay, Arizona, New England, and Indianapolis. Despite being outscored, the Steelers are in the thick of the playoff picture, currently resting as the number six seed in the AFC.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh have similar approaches to their respective football teams.
What Has To Happen
This seems obvious, but the Steelers have to score more points. If you are a glass-half-full person, Pittsburgh has played as poorly as they could on offense and is still 4-3. If the Steelers can get anything out of the offense, they can easily find themselves playing in January.
But that begins and ends with Pickett. The former Pitt Panther wasn't particularly good as a rookie last season, finishing with a 76.7 quarterback rating and a 53.6 QBR. However, the late-season stretch of wins sweetened him with fans and the media.
Despite the wins, 2023 has been different. Not only has Pickett not taken a step forward, but he's also taken a step backward. While his yards per attempt and rating are up this year thanks to more volume, his completion percentage is down, and his QBR has plummeted to 35.5, well below the league average. He has just five touchdowns in seven games, tied with the infamous Zach Wilson for the least among quarterbacks with at least seven starts.
What Is The Bottom Line?
At the end of the day, the NFL is a quarterback's league. For the Steelers to find success and make the playoffs, they have to have better quarterback play from Pickett. The defense and playmakers must be better, but teams typically can't overcome poor quarterback play. If Pickett can progress, Pittsburgh has a real shot at the postseason.
