The Pittsburgh Steelers' offense will have a new look this season. It will be a very welcomed change, as Steeler Nation has had to endure watching one of the worst offenses in the NFL the last two seasons. With Russell Wilson projected to be at the helm this season, big things are expected.
Sebastian Foltz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields (2) and Russell Wilson (3) during 2024 Organized Team Activities (OTAs).
It was clear that after two seasons of having Kenny Pickett try to lead an NFL offense, that a change was desperately needed on several levels. Not all the blame can be placed on Pickett, as he was handicapped by the ineptitude of Matt Canada for most of his time in Pittsburgh, but it was time for a clean slate for both parties.
With Wilson now in Pittsburgh, it is expected that the offense will take a significant leap by having a veteran, Super Bowl-winning quarterback that threw for 26 touchdowns last season as their starting quarterback.
Sebastian Foltz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Despite poor quarterback play for much of the 2023 season, which led to the offense averaging less than 18 points per game, the team still managed to win 10 games and reach the playoffs. They did so with the help of good adjustments from the coaching staff down the stretch, and a stellar defense that held their opponents to less than 20 points per game.
Now, if the Steelers had just average quarterback play in 2023, it would be fair to wonder how far this team could've gone in the playoffs and how much better the offense could've been. During a segment on SPEAK, former Green Bay Packers wide receiver, James Jones states that the offense would've been possibly the best in the NFL.
"The quarterback spot will be better. If you watched any Pittsburgh Steelers football games last year, and I know you brought up the 18 points per game -- if Russell Wilson was on that team last year, by just the way he played in Denver, all the short fields and turnovers the defense gave them, they would've averaged 30 points."
Not sure any of us would disagree Wilson should improve the offense and we should all expect more points on the board every week. 30 points per game is still a bit of a reach in terms of what the team's offense would've been capable of in 2023, however. For reference, only two teams averaged more than 28 points per game last season. That was the Dallas Cowboys, who averaged 30.1, and the San Francisco 49ers, who averaged 28.6.
Following up Jones' comments, Emmanuel Acho made it clear that while Wilson is an upgrade, the expectations should be tempered, due to the situation in Pittsburgh and a recent track record from Wilson.
"What Russ are we getting? That's my point. I don't like what we're doing, and we're doing it anchoring the desk, we're assuming Russ will do last year what he did this year. He won't have [Sean] Payton this year, and Payton makes great quarterbacks."
There is definitely a point to be made that Wilson struggled mightily in 2022 under the leadership of Nathaniel Hackett, but improved his play once he had Sean Payton calling the plays. Payton is viewed as one of the best offensive coaches of this century, so there is cause for concern that maybe Wilson was a beneficiary from that.
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Russell Wilson was the Denver Broncos QB for the 2023 season, which was Sean Payton's first season as the team's head coach.
Steelers' Offense Can Benefit More From Arthur Smith Than It Can From A New QB
The era of having Canada as the team's primary play-caller lasted much longer than it should have. Once the team finally fired him and let Mike Sullivan become the play-caller, there was easily a step change in performance. Another step change could be on the horizon, as Arthur Smith was considered one of the top up and coming offensive minds after a few incredibly successful seasons with the Tennessee Titans.
With the Titans, Smith had Ryan Tannehill as his quarterback, who was considered a bust by many after a failed stint with the Miami Dolphins to start his career. Tannehill then proceeded to have his best years of his career under Smith, leading one of the better offenses around the league. That is something that Smith has the opportunity to do with the Steelers, as he currently has a quarterback room that is looking to rebuild their careers in Wilson and Justin Fields.
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