Heading into the 2024 season, some Pittsburgh Steelers fans say they have faith in what they’re doing under head coach Mike Tomlin, especially after a busy offseason that brought in a lot of new players and filled in some gaps.
Some people don’t understand the Steelers’ vision, especially after the offseason additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields as QBs and the strengthening of the offensive line and defense overall.
For the Steelers, there doesn’t seem to be much variation between the ceiling and the floor. They’re either a 10- or 11-win team that wins a playoff game, or an 8- or 9-win team that doesn’t make the playoffs. There’s not a lot of variation.
Here’s what CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr thinks about the Black and Gold: In a CBS Sports Monday article examining the ceilings and floors of 32 NFL teams, Kerr found himself on the same playing field as the Steelers, and for better or worse.
The ceiling, Kerr thinks, is that the Steelers can go 11-6 this season and win the playoffs.
“The Steelers had a quarterback competition all summer, and Russell Wilson emerged as the starter. Wilson has had trouble scrambling out of the pocket, but he led the league in completion percentage inside the pocket.” Kerr wrote about the Steelers’ limitations for cbssports.com. “Wilson and Justin Fields are upgrades from last season. The Steelers have playmakers on offense, but George Fikus needs to be the No. 1 wide receiver. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is also an upgrade.
“Linebacker Patrick Queen is another playmaker on a defense that also includes pass rushers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is a rising star along with Minkah Fitzpatrick, the best playmaker in the secondary. Pittsburgh has enough talent to survive in the AFC North.”
The Steelers have a lot of good players, especially on the defensive end. It seems to drive a lot of people crazy that the Steelers are still a defensive-focused team, but they have remained competitive while trying to figure out their offense.
Ahead of the 2024 season, the team is said to have established a direction for its offense by continuously investing in the offensive line by hiring Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator, adding Wilson and Fields as centers, and selecting Troy Pautanu and Jack Frazier in the first and second rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Offensively, the Steelers should be much better than they have been in the past three years under Matt Canada. Defensively, Pittsburgh has a chance to be special this season by adding Quinn and cornerback Donte Jackson, pairing them with big names already in place.
Under Tomlin, that would easily lead to an 11-6 season and a playoff berth, which would be very welcome in the Steel City.
But from a floor standpoint, the Steelers’ offense could get worse again, potentially sending them to an 8-9 season, which would be their first losing season under Tomlin.
“If Wilson isn’t good enough at quarterback, can Fields salvage the season? How much time will the Steelers give Wilson?” Kerr wrote. “The offensive line is still a work in progress despite the additions of Troy Pautanu and Zach Frazier (which could be a problem for Wilson). With Brandon Ayuk out, will the Steelers have enough playmakers at receiver? The offense will get better, but the quarterback wasn’t the only issue last year.
“In the tough AFC North, Pittsburgh may be the team with the most questions. This is a team that finds a way to have a winning season, but could also have a losing season in 2024.”
It’s certainly fair to have questions about Wilson and Fields. Wilson is on his third team in four seasons, and Fields was traded after just three seasons for a conditional sixth-round pick after being selected 11th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Both have flaws and things that need to be fixed, including an offensive line that looks better on paper but has struggled during training camp and the preseason, raising concerns.
The lack of talent at wide receiver George Pickens is also a big issue. But the Steelers have a star defense to rely on. But the offense needs to play its part. Otherwise, the Steelers could really struggle, especially in the post-bye portion of the schedule late in the season, and end up with an 8-9 record, Tomlin’s first losing season.
It seems unlikely, but the possibility cannot be ruled out.
