This season for the Pittsburgh Steelers was full of ups and downs, highlighted by a few breakout players, impressive rookies, and a playoff berth. The team started out with an easy schedule outside of divisional rivals, and a bright future. Many were predicting records as good as 13-4 for Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, a number of problems did not allow this to happen – but the season was still an overall success.
To start, for the first home season opener in nearly a decade, the Steelers got blown out 30-7 by the San Francisco 49ers. Matt Canada was the Steelers’ offensive coordinator for the majority of the season. He had recorded seasons as OC for Pitt and for the Steelers, so he had ties to the organization. His playmaking schemes, however, were incredibly difficult to watch. Canada refused to start his first overall pick, Broderick Jones, who turned out to be a crucial piece in our offensive line. He under-utilized our best weapon, Jaylen Warren. He could not read defenses. He did not use the middle of the field at all and was wasting the young careers of offensive studs Najee Harris, Pat Friermuth, Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and more. The offense consistently played down to competition, punted after 3 plays, and relied on the defense to win.
Pittsburgh finished last or close to last in almost every single offensive statistic, that is, until Canada was fired in week 11. The decision was long overdue, and the Steelers would go on to put up a season-high 400 yards of offense the following week. The game showed that the Steelers had always had the potential for a dominant offense. The lineup had been stacked with talented weapons for years, but they had been used in the wrong way. The future was looking bright, and many were predicting that the Steelers were going to win the highly competitive AFC North.
Unfortunately, starting QB Kenny Pickett suffered injuries that sidelined him from December on out. Mitch Tribuisky, the former 2nd overall pick, was to have his first start of the season at QB against the 2-10 Cardinals. He underperformed, however, and would not only lose the game vs. Arizona but also get blown out by Indianapolis and the 2-10 Patriots in the following weeks. After offensive flashes of greatness, it began to look like Matt Canada was coaching the offense again. The offense looked abysmal, and there were low expectations for a playoff seed. The team started to unravel, with reports of fights in the locker room, players wanting to leave, and more.
Mason Rudolph, the third-string QB, was thrown in after three disappointing, consecutive losses with Trubisky starting. He had been an average backup at best in the past, picked in the third round many years ago. But he absolutely dominated in Pittsburgh’s second matchup vs. the division rival, Cincinnati. The team won 34-11, but the score did not do the offense’s performance justice. Mason was throwing dimes left and right, the RB duo of Harris and Warren was blowing through the defense, and the offensive line was giving Mason plenty of time in the pocket. Wide receiver George Pickens showed his incredible talent, with 4 catches for 195 yards, and 2 touchdowns. The team looked unstoppable.
The Steelers, who once had a 20% chance of making the playoffs, would go on to win out the season with Rudolph at the helm. They obtained a playoff berth in week 18 and completed a seemingly impossible comeback. Rudolph looked mobile, composed and comfortable in the pocket, accurate, and resilient. The receiving and running core both exceeded expectations, while the defense outperformed as well.
But let’s take a look at some of the players. To the surprise of no one, outside linebacker TJ Watt had yet another MVP-caliber year, recording an incredible 19 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. RB duo Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both achieved the milestone of over 1000 yards from scrimmage. Wide receiver George Pickens also recorded over 1000 receiving yards, with a league-high 18.1 yards per reception. Isaac Seumalo, the new guard, played over 1000 snaps and did not allow a single sack. The rookie cornerback, Joey Porter Jr, held the secondary together after a series of suspensions and injuries. Chris Boswell proved to be one of the league’s most consistent kickers, who completed almost 100% of his field goal and extra point attempts.
There were, of course, questions about the return of head coach Mike Tomlin. He had extended Canada’s tenure in Pittsburgh long past its expiration date and was not a great time manager. He had hesitated to start a few of our most effective players until late in the season, including Mason Rudolph. But when it comes down to it: Tomlin is simply a winner. The Steelers are still in the process of rebuilding, and they need some stability in coaching right now. Tomlin has never had a losing season with the Steelers, in his 17 seasons as head coach. Although he could be blamed for some of the season’s woes, he also helped to turn the team around and earn a spot in the playoffs. He is an objectively good football coach.
Wrapping up the season, the Steelers playoff game in Buffalo truly signified their season as a whole. To summarize the game, the Steelers defense started out slow, giving up three touchdowns in the first half vs. the Bills. But they came back in the second with a vengeance, making the game close on several occasions. They did not win, but they came close. As for how this relates to the season – there were ups and downs, but at the team’s lowest points, they rose to the occasion and made their best effort. They had gone from 7-4 with Pickett and Canada, to 7-7 with Tribuisky, to 10-7 with Rudolph. It is rare for a team to succeed with such drastic changes – not to mention a number of significant, sometimes-season-ending injuries, and turmoil in the locker room – but Pittsburgh pulled it off under Tomlin, who kept the team together.
The future is bright for this young Pittsburgh Steeler team, and only time will tell how they will fare in the coming seasons.
