The Steelers Offense Absolutely Has To Evolve In 2023 And Beyond According To ESPN Insider

The Pittsburgh Steelers did not make the playoffs in 2022. They were not expected to challenge in the AFC after limping into the 2021 playoffs before the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller's Steelers were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs to end his illustrious career and the reality of how far away they were from contention set in for Steeler Nation.

The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in 2022 and after a slow start, it has become apparent that Pickett is going to be the franchise quarterback going forward. The offense, despite Matt Canada, made strides during the second half of the season and Pickett’s abundantly apparent talent could overcome the mind-numbingly basic Canada offensive scheme in 2023.

Brooke Pryor, who reports on the Steelers for ESPN, joined Josh Rowntree’s radio program on 93.7 The Fan on Monday night to discuss the ramifications of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory, despite the Philadelphia Eagles’ nearly successful strategy of playing keep-away from Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Rowntree asked Pryor if the Steelers should prioritize investing in their offense:

“If I’m the Steelers, that’s what I would do,” Pryor began. “I understand the Steelers have done a certain thing, a certain way for a long time. And it was successful for a while, don’t get me wrong and I know that the Steelers are not an organization that adapts to what other people are doing.”

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The Steeler way has worked for the entirety of the Super Bowl era, but the game is changing, and the strategy has to change as well. Pittsburgh is currently enduring its longest drought without a playoff win since the merger. Pryor and Rowntree discussed if they should consider a change in roster-building philosophy could reverse the Steelers’ fortunes:

“If I was the Steelers, I would,” Pryor said about investing in the offense. “The way that football is changing, yes, there is something to be said about having a championship-level defense. That is still incredibly important. The Eagles had a great defense before this game, and they played great defense in the first half. Having an offense that bleeds the clock can be so beneficial, but when you have a team that can score in a minute, it doesn't matter how long you keep them off the field.”

The Super Bowl was a perfect illustration that ball control and great defense will only take you so far in 2023. Once upon a time, the New York Giants beat the high-powered Buffalo Bills offense by holding the ball for 40 minutes and keeping Jim Kelly on the bench. 30 years ago, that strategy was viable, but Patrick Mahomes wasn’t born. In 2023, it will keep the game close, you might cover a spread that will make gamblers happy, but you won’t lift a Lombardi Trophy playing that way.

“If the Steelers could make that kind of investment to get an offense together that can score quickly, and not just when it’s under two minutes or right before halftime. I want to see that kind of urgency early in the game. I think that’s the way the entire league is trending to have a score that goes over 70. If you want to be successful and competitive, you have to construct your roster (for that),” Pryor concluded.

The Steelers added one of the most dangerous downfield weapons in recent memory with rookie George Pickens last season and he has already proven he will make plays down the field. If someone in the Pittsburgh front office could tell Canada that Pickens is available to play every down, it could help them in 2023. Weapons are arguably not the issue for the Steelers, it is the offensive scheme, but 2023 is not going to see meaningful change unless the players do it themselves.

Pickett is capable of leading a high-powered offense, he has proven in his rookie year that he can learn and is a good decision-maker. The Steelers have the weapons to execute an exciting brand of football, but there is only one issue. Canada isn’t capable of designing a high-scoring offensive scheme, nevermind implementing it.