5 Steps to a Steelers Super Bowl in 2023
The roster-building is essentially over. As the calendar turns to June, the Steelers will be going three-and-out on their first drive vs San Francisco before you know it!
Here are five things that could catapult the Steelers into real Super Bowl contention.
For the sake of this exercise, we are assuming that the team stays healthy for the majority of the season. (That is top priority for every team looking to make a run.)
5. Alex Highsmith takes another step
Highsmith finished with 14.5 sacks last year, but many wondered if his high sack total was due to the prolonged absence of TJ Watt.
If the Steelers want to be true contenders, and have a shot of playing in the Super Bowl, hosted in Las Vegas next February, they need Highsmith to post similar numbers with Watt being his usual productive self.
4. Joey Porter Jr. has DROY level season
Sauce Gardner is the epitome of instant success as a rookie at the cornerback position. He ran away with the Defense Rookie of the Year (DROY) award and is in the conversation for best corner in the entire league.
To stifle the elite passing attacks in the AFC, the Steelers will need Porter Jr. to turn in similar performances. If he can, Pittsburgh’s defense will be one of the league’s best and the young cornerback could hear his name called at NFL Honors.
3. Harris and Pickens top ten finishes
If you are a believer in the Steelers getting to Vegas, then you probably feel similar to me about the immense ceiling for sophomore wideout George Pickens. He was the best catcher of the deep-ball in the entire league last season, and could take a huge jump if he develops his route tree and ability after the catch. This guy has the potential to be really special.
The same can be said about 2021 first round pick, Najee Harris. Harris is an athletic freak who has struggled to be consistent behind some putrid O-line play the past 2 seasons.
Finally, Harris broke through during the back half of 2022 and got some help from UDFA Jaylen Warren. They put together the league’s 8th best run game over the last 9 games.
If Najee Harris and George Pickens can combine their yards and be in the top 10 RB-WR duos in the league, the Steelers offense will be in a good and dynamic spot.
2. Matt Canada finally figures it out
An interesting part of every offseason is how the dialogue dies down about the coordinators if there aren’t any moves made. But as soon as the first three-and-out, Canada will be back on the mind of every Steeler fan.
He has weighed down the Steelers offense in his two seasons as offensive coordinator. In fairness, future Hall-of-Famer Ben Roethlisberger in his final season, to Mitch Trubisky, to rookie Kenny Pickett, behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines hasn’t necessarily been a recipe for success.
However, Canada’s been bad enough that he still isn’t off the hook. He’s looked downright incapable of coaching an NFL offense. Good run-designs, and more freedom for the quarterback, seemed to provide some success in the latter parts of 2022, but he needs to show more.
The offense will need to come out of the gates red-hot, and stay that way, for the Steelers to have any shot at making it out of the AFC.
1. Kenny Pickett takes a broad jump, not a hop in second season
Of course, this was always going to be number one on the list: the Pittsburgh Steelers will amount to nothing in 2023 if Pickett doesn’t take a gigantic leap.
The rookie QB was thrown into the fire in week 4, after limited reps all training camp. After that, his first four games as a starting signal-caller were against four playoff teams, including the runner-up Philadelphia Eagles.
Mercifully, the Steelers had a bye after starting 2-6, and they Pickett went 7-2 down the stretch as Pittsburgh’s starter, showing flashes of great play. He turned the ball over once over his last nine games.
If the young quarterback, who added 13 pounds this off-season, can breakthrough this year, the Steelers will have a shot in every game.
