Fielding a competent offensive unit has been challenging, to say the least, for the Pittsburgh Steelers spanning several seasons. In a league where offense is king, the franchise has greatly underachieved in that department, largely due to a defensive-minded head coach, Mike Tomlin, who ran the show. Now that Tomlin has exited and Mike McCarthy takes over, expect a stronger emphasis on moving the football downfield and scoring points.
For what feels like the first time in a long time, Pittsburgh finally has an offensively minded philosophy. And as a result, the offseason has been full of additions on that particular side of the ball. Turning the page into a new chapter and era of Steelers football, many are excited for what’s potentially to come under McCarthy. Speaking of which, it’s reasonable to expect improvement across the board in the upcoming season, as the reasons listed below reflect what should be a much more fun team when in possession of the ball.
Reason: #1: A Much Stronger Supporting Cast
Having D.K. Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., and Germie Bernard as your starting wideouts is a night-and-day difference from last year’s, with just a bunch of backup-level pass catchers in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Roman Wilson, Ben Skowronek, Adam Thielen, and Scotty Miller. All three of them can do different things individually underneath, intermediate, and deep downfield. If anything, this puts the Steelers near, if not already within, the top half of teams at the wide receiver position. Despite being 42 years old, Aaron Rodgers has plenty to work with heading into year two in Pittsburgh.
Moving along, Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle headline a legitimately solid running back tandem, and Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, likewise, form a good duo at the tight end position. With a new sheriff in town, the Steelers are expected to prioritize running the football, getting their ball carriers involved as pass catchers, and targeting their tight ends more than usual. You need a plethora of quality weapons out wide and in the backfield to win in a gauntlet of an AFC North division and conference, so the additions made this offseason will provide a much-needed boost to Pittsburgh’s aerial and rushing attacks.
Reason #2: A Very Deep Offensive line Room
Winning the battles inside the trenches is how you win and dominate consistently, as the Steelers have invested heavily in their offensive line over the last few years to make that become reality. Troy Fautanu, Gennings Dunker, Zack Frazier, Mason McCormick, and Max Iheanachor are the likely starters up front. Broderick Jones (assuming he’s fully healthy), Brock Hoffman, Dylan Cook, and Spencer Anderson provide valuable depth as backups, something they’ve sorely lacked in the past. It’s taken time, but they’ve now arrived at the point where this unit is among the better offensive lines in the NFL.
Having all five of your starting linemen be well under 30 is significant, as it sets you up well in the long run and opens an immediate window of contention. You have a good problem: there are many options to choose from, versatility-wise, none of which are that underwhelming, further solidifying its capability to pass-protect, pull, and run-block. You may not change the fact of how old your starting quarterback might be, but at least you can keep him upright and create holes/gaps to pound the rock with this position group as constructed.
Reason #3: Mike McCarthy as the Play Caller
Play calling is all too important because it ultimately determines the efficiency and execution of your offense’s game plan, schematically speaking. You either are evolving (aka adapting) or devolving (aka stagnating); there’s no in between. Insert Mike McCarthy, known for his West Coast style offense and commitment to airing it out with at least three quality starting receivers (Dallas and Green Bay stints validate this).
Ineffective schemes limit your explosiveness after the catch and yards after contact through the air and on the ground, but under McCarthy, building the offense around the quarterback’s strengths, simplifying pre-snap responsibilities, utilizing choice routes to create mismatches, and maximizing his playmakers’ usage early and often are all welcomed new developments. While he is also relying on explosive plays and quick reads, McCarthy will establish a modern offensive identity centered around statistical data and analytics, something that was missing entirely under Tomlin. Lastly, his system is built around the quarterback position itself, connecting his attention to foundational details (footwork, mechanics, etc).
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: 3 Reasons Why Steelers offense improves