Steelers Offense Makes Defense Go Quiet During Impressive Day Of Practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers have historically been carried by the defense. The Steel Curtain in the 1970s, and the two Super Bowls won during the 2000s, came on the back of the defensive units. The same has been true in recent years, as the offense has been stagnant at times, while the defense is typically able to keep Pittsburgh in games. The gap between the two units might be a bit closer in 2024, as the offense has had a good amount of success as training camp gets underway. 

Pittsburgh's offense looks a bit different this year. Justin Fields has been the number one quarterback for the most part, while Russell Wilson takes precautionary measures for a slight calf injury. This has brought new excitement to the offense. Head Coach Mike Tomlin starts his practices off with a drill called "Seven Shots," where the offense and defense play seven snaps on the goal line. On Tuesday, the offense won the drill, and they started it off with a run right up the middle. Insider Mark Kaboly asked left tackle Dan Moore Jr. about the reasoning for that.

"It's definitely tone setting. Definitely tone setting. Coach Tomlin talks about how he doesn't want the defense to let the offense run it in, we always talk about running it in anyway. That's the mindset that we want to have, especially in seven shots, there's a lot of trash talking, so we just wanted to put a little emphasis on it today."

If there's one thing the Steelers can do well offensively, it's running the football. This is especially important for the 2024 season, as new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, operates a very run-heavy scheme. This drill tends to get pretty chippy and intense, as it sets the tone for the rest of practice and everyone wants to be on the winning side of things.

The Steelers have one of the better defensive units in the league, so it's expected for them to usually have a leg up on the offense. That wasn't the case Tuesday, and if the offense continues to play the way that it has, training camp may get real interesting. Tempers can flare, and there is usually some fights that go down between the two sides of the ball. Moore was asked about how the defense acted after they got ran on throughout the drill.

"It was real quiet, real quiet today."

It's rare the Steelers' offense is able to stifle the defense, but on Tuesday, that's exactly what happened. The defense is lined with superstars, and the offense set a tone on the first day of pads. Now what will be interesting to see is whether or not the offense can stack these successful days on top of one another. If they can keep stringing them together, the optimism for the 2024 season will only grow.

Steelers Offense Has A Clear Goal For Their Identity

When Smith got hired as the Steelers new offensive coordinator, it was clear they had the desire to run the ball. The Steelers found their groove in the ground game during the second half of the 2023 season, and hope to continue it into 2024. There have been new investments on the offensive line, and Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are one of the best backfield duos in the league. When the ball is down on the goal line like it is in seven shots, that's the way the organization wants to get the ball into the end zone.

It's not just the coaching staff that wants to run the ball, as players like Broderick Jones have spoken out about wanting to rush for 200 yards a game. It's a lofty goal, but if anyone can do it, it's Harris and Warren with plays coming from the mind of Smith. The NFL has been considered a passing league recently, but the Steelers don't seem to have any desire to change their ways.

What did you think of the offense's performance on Tuesday? Let us know in the comments below!

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