Was the 2023 season Mike Tomlin's finest performance as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers? Considering he's raised a Lombardi Trophy, that's probably not the case. But getting his team to the playoffs after an up-and-down season proved his ability to get every last ounce of talent out of his roster.
Week 15 seemed to be the nail in the coffin of Tomlin's winning-seasons streak. The Steelers, starting QB Mitch Trubisky for the second straight week, got smoked 30-13 by the Indianapolis Colts to drop their record to 7-7. But a three-game win streak pushed Pittsburgh over the hump and into the playoffs, the 11th time in 17 seasons Tomlin's squad did so.
Once the Steelers season ended in Buffalo, attention shifted to the 2024 NFL offseason. Where should the team look to upgrade, what areas of weakness need to be addressed?
While the roster is not perfect, the biggest thing the Steelers can do before next season is nail their search for a new offensive coordinator. The team, as illustrated by another playoff appearance, is already plenty talented. But on the offensive side of the ball, it's plainly obvious the franchise's playmakers aren't being properly utilized.
The Steelers already began to address their biggest need during the season. Now, they have to stick the landing.
Pittsburgh's roster in good shape
Kudos to Tomlin and the Steelers for doing something the organization hadn't done since 1941: move on from a coordinator in-season. OC Matt Canada had to go, as evidenced by the step back Kenny Pickett seemed to take in his second NFL season.
And the search for a new coordinator has gotten off on the right foot, insofar as Tomlin is looking outside the organization. Another move in the right direction.
Because a glance at the Steelers depth chart on offense, and what can be expected from core players in 2024, points to coaching being more of an issue than talent.
Pittsburgh seems to have uncovered a gem in running back Jaylen Warren, who rushed for nearly 800 yards while receiving more than 100 carries fewer than Najee Harris. While Warren deserves a bigger share moving forward, Harris has cracked the 1,000-yard mark in all three of his NFL seasons, and provides a perfect battering-ram option to Warren's elusiveness.
WR George Pickens, although not without frustrating moments, caught 63 passes for 1,140 yards in his sophomore season. His counterpart, Diontae Johnson struggled with injuries but managed to post the best yards per reception mark of his career (14.1). And if the Steelers desire another impact receiver, their knack for drafting such players is remarkable.
As for the offensive line, the Steelers ranked 12th in run blocking win rate and 17th in pass blocking win rate. Improvements can be made for sure, but the line wasn't the team's biggest issue this season.
Do the Steelers have their QB?
Mike Tomlin already said that Kenny Pickett would be back in 2024 as QB1 after a rocky second season, both in terms of performance and staying healthy. While it would be wise to bring in competition at the game's most important position, the entire offensive infrastructure needs re-making.
Look at how Mason Rudolph performed to finish the season. In two of his three starts, he averaged over 10 yards per pass attempt, threw for 270+ yards, and avoided any interceptions.
And that's with an interim offensive coordinator and an interim play-caller!
Point being, unless Patrick Mahomes professes a desire to be traded to Steel City, the Steelers should feel good about the offensive side of the ball's potential.
All comes down to new Steelers offensive coordinator
The best thing the Steelers can do is hire a creative offensive coordinator to modernize the offense and get the most out of the present roster.
Pittsburgh's brain trust has done a fine job filling the depth chart out with capable players. But if those players aren't being put in positions to succeed, what good is it to have a dynamic weapon such as Pickens or Warren?
Kenny Pickett might not be the guy, but it's tough to argue that a season-and-a-half in a Canada system is enough to make that determination.
Selecting 23rd in the upcoming draft will likely mean no worthy quarterbacks will be available to take. A trade for someone such as Justin Field of the Bears is intriguing, but will likely be costly.
Rather, a new play-caller on offense that can optimize what the Steelers already have is going to have the biggest impact for next season. So while it's fun to pour over potential free agents, or dream of a player sliding in the draft, the path for the Steelers is much simpler, although not an easy one.
Nail the offensive coordinator hire, and the improvements will come.
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