Expectations Are Building In Pittsburgh
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
When your division boasts three of the most high-profile quarterbacks in the NFL, it’s easy to become the forgotten team. With Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals looking like a perennial powerhouse, Lamar Jackson finally having some legitimate weapons in Baltimore, and the Cleveland Browns adding pieces left and right for Deshaun Watson’s first full year, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t get much attention through the off-season. But, slowly and surely, as camp opens and the 2023 season nears, people around the league are starting to take notice of Mike Tomlin’s bunch.
Earlier this week on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, Peter Schrager spent part of a segment singing the praises of second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. When co-host Kyle Brandt got his turn at the mic, he elevated things to a whole new level.
“Put your trust in Kenny Pickett,” Brandt exclaimed as he detailed why the Steelers could have a potentially dangerous offense. The respected analyst even went so far as to put the Black and Gold in the playoffs:
“The Steelers are going to be in the playoffs this year. I believe it. I’ll predict it now. I’ll predict it again when we get to prediction time. There’s seven spots in the AFC. Seven in one of the best AFCs ever. Maybe the best ever. I think the Steelers will have one. They’re gonna be a surprise conversation team…I’m a huge believer in the 2023 Steelers. Love ‘em.”
Only 7 teams will make the AFC playoffs.
I believe this is one of them. pic.twitter.com/SHx3HSaqCb
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) August 2, 2023
Brandt is echoing what many in Steeler Nation are feeling. GM Omar Khan has done an incredible job building the roster to both compete in the moment and prepare for the future.
The key off-season additions of Isaac Seumalo, Patrick Peterson, and Allen Robinson don’t just bolster the on-field production, they provide locker-room mentorship that is helping cultivate a new culture in Pittsburgh. With high-character youngsters added in, the team has something they haven’t had in years: a positive, drama-free training camp. Peter King of Monday Morning Quarterback went so far as to call St Vincent College in Latrobe “Camp Tranquility.”
Respected Steelers insider Mark Kaboly has taken notice of what Khan has built and how it has perhaps changed the Steelers’ timeline.
“Despite seemingly being a year or two away from being a true contender for a seventh Lombardi Trophy, the way the Steelers have constructed their roster around the top 10 or so players has expedited the expectations (yes, I said it again) for this year.”
Despite the growing expectations, it will certainly take more than camp happiness and youth potential to deliver a good season. As Tomlin and his staff teach and the veterans lead, the Steelers’ fate likely lies in the progression of its second-year offensive stars.
Everyone is focused on Kenny Pickett, and they should be. If the second-year Steeler takes a big step forward, he represents the ultimate cheat code in the NFL: a top-15 quarterback on a rookie deal. The value is unmatched in today’s league.
But elevated years from promising young back Jaylen Warren and wide receiver George Pickens, who seemingly refuses to stop turning in camp highlight plays, could put the offense into the stratosphere. Pair that with a defense that expects to be elite, and Pittsburgh could potentially make Brandt and Kaboly look very smart and Vegas oddsmakers look very silly.
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