Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been busy this offseason with a flurry of moves, and now that we are only a few weeks away from training camp, it’s time to start looking ahead to the schedule. With so many high-flying offenses led by ultra-talented quarterbacks existing in the AFC, it’s imperative for their offense to take a significant step forward if they wish to do damage in the postseason when it counts. In 2024, the unit finished 20th in points per drive and EPA/play, as well as 26th in success rate. While most of the young offensive line remains intact, they’re counting on the additions of Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, and Kaleb Johnson to help make this a more potent attack.
While browsing through the team’s slate this fall, I wanted to talk about the specific matchups that could give them the most trouble. These opponents, some of which they’ll see in the early portion of the season, will be a good barometer for just how much this group has improved on the offensive side of the ball. Because defense is a lot more volatile on a yearly basis, it’s definitely more difficult to predict which units rise and fall, but it’s a fun offseason exercise to take a crack at. There are quite a few revenge games on here which should up the ante a little bit as well. Let’s dive into it.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 22nd, EPA/play: 21st, Success rate: 17th
Everything, and I mean everything, was a disaster for the New York Jets last season, and it’s no surprise that all of the prominent figures within the organization were let go. Even with that being the case, there’s still a plethora of talent on this defense, starting with the cornerback position. Sauce Gardner is just one year removed from finishing second among cornerbacks in forced incompletion rate (22%) per PFF and will likely be given even more press reps this season to showcase his length and physicality now that he’s playing in a different scheme. One player who continued to dominate last year despite the dysfunction surrounding him was Quinnen Williams, an insanely powerful rusher with quick hands and impressive lower body flexibility to boot. The run defense will be a question mark until it’s not, and we know that the Steelers will look to exploit that in the season opener. This should be a good first test.
2024 Statistics- Points per drive: 6th, EPA/play: 3rd, Success rate: 21st
Coming from his man-heavy Boston College roots, Jeff Hafley threw everyone for a loop by constructing an opportunistic defense that revolved around simulated pressures and non-traditional Tampa drops. Free safety Xavier McKinney was the perfect addition to make all the pieces fit together with his ability to keep a lid on the explosive plays over the top and leap into passing lanes when those opportunities presented themselves. Rookie off-ball backer Edgerrin Cooper is a blur with rare...
