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The Case for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024

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The Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 season is here. And again I’m honoring the memory and work of my friend, the late, great Ivan Cole, by penning “The Case for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.”

Ivan wrote these columns annually while he was at BTSC and then Going Deep with the Steelers.

And I am happy to continue his tradition as I try to meld my own insights while striving to find Ivan’s tone and voice.

Mike Tomlin, Russell Wilson, George Pickens

Mike Tomlin, Russell Wilson and George Pickens. Photo Credit: Reddit

A Mature, Self-Confident Franchise

So what is the “The Case for the Steelers in 2024” let’s use the words of Ivan himself to establish the ground rules:

Let me start with the disclaimer up front. If you’re looking for yet another set of predictions in what is the season of predictions you will be sorely disappointed here. I don’t do predictions, don’t believe in them. I’m sure someone will hit the nail on the head as to how the [2024] season will unfold, and there will be a certain element of skill involved in their assessment, but there will probably be a lot of luck involved as well.

What I attempt to bring to the table are some observations as to how to think about what factors might be key to a positive outcome for the Steelers this season. Specifically, what has to happen (and what has to not happen) in order for the team to, hopefully, make it to the playoffs and have a shot at the world championship.

No, these columns are intended to be predictive.

Case in point, one year ago this column cited the Steelers quarterback room as an area of strength. Yet after starting 3 separate quarterbacks in 2023, Mike Tomlin decided to completely remake the room in 2024.

  • But that actually points to one of the biggest assets this team has going into the season.

How’s that you ask? Fair question.

Fair question. But if you look at the way the Steelers brain trust has handled the quarterback situation, it reveals the franchise’s maturity and self-confidence. Suffice to say, the Kenny Pickett of 2023 did not pick up right where the “Kenny F___ Picket” of 2022 left off.

Far from it. But Mike Tomlin stuck by his young signal caller. First, he tried forcing his offensive coordinator to change ways. When that failed, Tomlin shattered franchise precedent and fired Matt Canada midseason.

Kenny Pickett, Johnathan Ledbetter

Kenny Pickett final play in Pittsburgh. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Tomlin then adopted a “fail fast” philosophy. When Kenny Pickett got injured on third down at the goal line against the Cardinals, Tomlin didn’t hesitate to go for it on 4th and goal. He did the same thing a week later against the Patriots. And, after giving Mitch Trubisky a full week to prepare and seeing him come woefully up short, Tomlin brought Pittsburgh’s Mitch Tribusky era to a shift end.

To a man, Art Rooney II, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan kicked off the off season by expressing their faith in Kenny Pickett. Yet, Tomlin promised competition and Khan pledged to explore all available means to improve the team.

So when Russell Wilson became available for a song, the Steelers snatched him up immediately. And when Pickett balked at competing with and being mentored by a perennial Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion, they again embraced the fail-fast concept and shipped to the other end of Turnpike for clipboard holding duty.

  • Franchise self-confidence was also evident in the hire of Arthur Smith.

One of the benefits of employing the same coach for 17 years is that it gives you a data set that is booth deep and wide to draw samples from. And one of the things that we can say about Mike Tomlin is that while he may excel at many things as a head coach, cultivating young coaching talent is not one of them.

  • For his part, Mike Tomlin seems to realize that even if he has not said it in so many words.

Late last season we saw that, with competent quarterback play, the Steelers offense was capable of playoff-caliber football. But merely reaching the playoffs is not something that Mike Tomlin can or should take comfort in.

  • Fortunately, he does not.

The quarterback who got him to the playoffs is gone, as just good enough isn’t sufficient. Tomlin applied the same mindset to his coaching staff. It would have been very easy to point to the late season improvement and promote either Eddie Faulkner or Mike Sullivan to as his next offensive coordinator.

Instead, Mike Tomlin acknowledged he needed to go outside the organization for the first time in 10 years to fill the offensive coordinator spot and hired Arthur Smith, who promises to bring brand of football Pittsburgh hasn’t seen since Ken Whisenhunt’s days.

And that’s a brand difference that could become relevant given the roster that’s been assembled.

The Unheralded Steelers 2024 Offense

The Steelers have a history of bringing quarterbacks to Pittsburgh, but none have ever boasted the track record of Russell Wilson. Wilson is of course a Super Bowl champion and 9 time Pro Bowler. And, while his skills may have diminished at age 35, he still possesses a beautiful deep ball.

But it is the intangibles that Wilson brings to the Steelers that should give us the greatest cause for excitement. Ever since the moment he touched down in Pittsburgh, Wilson has made every effort not only to connect with the team, but with the entire city. Watch an interview with him and, you’ll see the portrait of the man able to strike a healthy equilibrium between self confidence and humility.

In that respect, Wilson seems like the ideal mentor for his understudy, Justin Fields. During the preseason both saw why Chicago drafted him with the 11th overall pick and we saw why they decided to move on. But he’s certainly worth a 6th round pick and an excellent man to have as your number two. Furthermore, sub packages involving Fields could inject an X-Factor into this offense not seen since the heyday of Slash during the 1995 season.

Kyle Allen rounds out the group. Last year we saw why the Steelers believe in keeping 3 quarterbacks and once again everyone on their depth chart has starting NFL experience.

That brings us to running back. Let’s begin by asking that we please tune out the Najee Harris vs Jaylen Warren “controversy.” Attempts to present this as an either/or proposition represent a false dichotomy.

Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren

Could we see Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren paired in the same backfield? Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield via SteelerNation.com

Instead, the Harris/Warren tandem gives Pittsburgh their most potent 1-2 combo since the brief stretch in the 2004 season with both Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis enjoyed full health. And Cordarrelle Patterson gives the Steelers a nice RB number 3 option who offers excellent position flexibility.

At tight end the Steelers will field their deepest group arguably since the early 1990s. Pat Freiermuth looks poised to have a breakout year. Darnell Washington should help re-establish the offense’s smash-mouth mentality. Connor Heyward and MyCole Pruitt should give multiple options in the passing game, with Heyward able to do duty as a fullback when needed.

I would be remiss to say that, days before the season’s start, injuries to the offensive line make this an area of legitimate concern. In the last two year, slow starts by the Steelers offensive lines have nearly sabotaged both seasons. Given the back-loaded nature of this season’s schedule another slow start is something this team can ill afford.

If there is a silver lining it’s that the coaches are aware and can prepare. Yes, depth will be tested early, but at least the depth is there and it won’t be like getting a pop quiz on the day after summer vacation ends.

And finally, we come to the wide receivers, the one area of the depth chart that has generated as much angst among the fan base as all others combined. Debate and analysis of the strengths, or lack thereof, of the depth behind George Pickens is available in abundance elsewhere and need not be repeated here.

  • Could the doomsday predictions of the naysayers come to pass?

Yes, they certainly could. But the reverse could be true. And if you’re scoffing, ask yourself, who was the only legitimate stand-out at wide receiver on the 2005 squad that won Super Bowl XL? Hines Ward. Antwaan Randle El was a good number 2, and there are several players on the 2024 squad who can plausibly reach his level albeit with different skill sets.

  • Who were the number 3 and number 4 wide outs on the 2005 team?

You forgot, didn’t you? (It was Cedrick Wilson and Quincy Morgan — although I had to look them up.) And that’s in large part because of type of offense that the Steelers fielded under Ken Whisenhunt. An offense that is very similar to Arthur Smith. And Smith’s offense has the potential to be deeper at both tight end and running back than W’s was in 2005.

Does Defense Still Win Championships? We May Be About to Find Out

The “experts” assure as, as they have since at least 2011 or so, that defense is irrelevant in today’s pass happy, fantasy football fueled NFL.

The new conventional wisdom is that defenses don’t win championships franchise quarterbacks do.

  • NFL fans are instructed to question this dictum only at your peril.

Never mind that a defensive score helped provide Kansas City with his margin of error in Super Bowl LVII with a defensive turnover, and that Chiefs sustained its rally by disrupting Jaylen Hurts by forcing him out of the pocket in a direction he did not want to go. Never mind that network commentators spent the Super Bowl LVIII gushing over Steve Spagnuolo’s defense.

As it relates to the Steelers, Steel City Insider’s Jim Wexell argues that this is the most talented defensive unit the franchise has fielded since 2010.

  • And that’s and argument that holds up well under objective observation.
Cam Heyward, Cam Heyward Franco Harris Number 32, Steelers vs Raiders

Paying homage to Franco, Cam Heyward leads Steelers out of tunnel. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

The defensive line is led by Cam Heyward who is as much a pillar of the franchise as Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis were before him. Keeanu Benton logged a sensational rookie year, and looks ready to make the proverbial sophomore leap. Larry Ogunjobi appears to be fully healthy and if he can remain that way he should continue to be a disruptive force.

Behind them we have DeMarvin Leal, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Montravius Adams and Logan Lee giving us one of the deepest units in decades.

Looking over at the linebackers, one of the most exciting questions we can ask going into the season is “How will Teryl Austin find ways to get Nick Herbig on to the field?” No one is going to suggest he should be pushing T.J. Watt for time, but he’s given coaches every justification for setting up some sort of rotation and/or establishing a scheme that gets him, Watt and Alex Highsmith on the field at the same time.

At inside linebacker the Steelers have quantity, and they also look to have quality, with Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts leading the way, while Mark Robinson, Tyler Matakevich and Payton Wilson provide depth that features both youth and experience.

  • The secondary is another area of intrigue.

Last season Joey Porter Jr. showed everyone why he should have been a first round pick. Opposite him the Steelers will start Donte Jackson, with Beanie Bishop, Cory Trice, and Darius Rush rounding out the depth chart. A year ago the Steelers leaned into experience at cornerback, and ranked near the bottom of the league in yards per pass allowed.

  • This year they’re leaning into youth in hopes of reversing their fortunes.

At safety Minkah Fitzpatrick leads the way with DeShon Elliott and Damontae Kazee alongside him. Last year the Steelers really wanted to deploy their three safety package, but injuries seldom allowed them to. Look for the 3 safety package to return.

As the off season began, if you listened beyond the conversation about Kenny Pickett, you’d hear griping about how the Steelers defense failed to deliver given the franchise’s salary cap investment in that side of the ball.

Such analysis belies the fact that starting in late October, the defense began losing either a starting inside linebacker and/or a safety to injury (or suspension) each week. Yet the unit continued to make splay play after splash play that either sealed victory or kept the team in games as the offensive struggled.

If this defense can even maintain an average level of health it should be very, very dangerous.

A Final Word about the AFC North

Thus far I have made the case for the 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers solely by looking at the mirror.

But of course the team does not exist in a vacuum, and instead in the AFC North, the division that sent 3 teams to the playoffs last year. The division that features Joe Burrow AND Lamar Jackson. The division that saw one of its teams go through 3 quarterbacks and still make the playoffs.

Yes, the Steelers play in this NFL’s toughest division. Yes, the Steelers will play the blunk of their division games in late in the year, on a ridiculously compacted schedule (don’t get me $tarted on the NFL’s hypocri$y when it comes to player $afety.)

  • Does this make the prospect of bringing home Lombardi Number 7 all the more daunting?

You bet it does. But if Pittsburghers know anything, its that iron sharpens iron.

Let the games begin!

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Progress @ Paycor? Steelers Beat Bengals 16-10 as Pickett Plays Complete Game

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The Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Paycor Stadium in a scene that was eerily similar to the one they faced last week:

  • They were in Ohio.
  • They were playing in the AFC North.
  • They were playing against a rookie quarterback starting only because of injury.
  • Their own quarterback, Kenny Pickett was gaining more doubters with each passing week.

Yet for all of those similarities going into the game, the key difference coming out was that Steelers left the Buckeye state with a 16-10 victory. And while Mike Tomlin would be the first to remind us that “style points don’t count” it was the way the Steelers won that offered real hope for the future.

Kenny Picket, Steelers vs Bengals, Steelers vs Bengals 2023 Paycor

Kenny Pickett drops back to pass. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

A Fitting Venue and Time for Pittsburgh to Pivot?

IN case you’ve been under a rock, prior to today’s game, the Pittsburgh Steelers have held a dubious distinction:

  • Cumulatively they had been outscored this season and their opponents had outgained them in each game.

Yet the Steelers defied statistical history and continued to win games, going into last week’s contest with Cleveland at 6-3. But their loss against Cleveland was particularly ugly. It felt like the offense had a moment similar to the Wile E. Coyote, who after walking on air without falling, looked down and crashed.

Mike Tomlin reached a similar conclusion and reacted by doing something the franchise hasn’t done since 1941:  firing a coach in season as he relived Matt Canada of his duties.

24 years ago Bill Cowher found himself at a similar crossroads at this same point in the season in a game against the Bengals no less. Cowher benched Kordell Stewart in favor of Mike Tomczak. The move the pleased fans but failed to alter the trajectory of either the game or the 1999 season.

Mike Tomlin’s decision also came going into a game against the Bengals, and one at Paycor Stadium a place the recent Steelers teams have defined their trajectories.

In 2020, at then Paul Brown Stadium, Ben Roethlisberger struggled so badly, I asked out loud if we had just witnessed the Steelers football equivalent of the 1980 Ali-Holmes Las Vegas fight.

In 2021, the Bengals and Joe Burrow’s domination of the Steelers confirmed that the AFC North had a new pecking order.

And even if the Steelers opened 2022 with a win at Paycor, the takeaway there was that the Steelers would need exceptional play on defense and special teams AND an injury to Joe Burrow to eke out wins against this Bengals team.

So the question as the Steelers arrived in Cincinnati was simple: Would Kenny Pickett respond positively to change?

Pickett Makes Progress

We can be certain that neither new Offensive Coordinator Eddie Faulkner nor Play Caller Mike Sullivan were aware of these Steelers-Bengals geographic or historical symmetries. But the duo clearly looked to make a statement by opening the game with a 24 yard strike down the middle of the field to Pat Freiermuth.

  • Kenny Pickett has avoided the middle of the field all season long like the plague.

Here he was taking chunk out of the middle of the field to start the game. Sure, two plays later that failed bubble screen looked to be vintage Canada, but had George Pickens not missed his block Diontae Johnson probably gets a first down.

Najee Harris, Steelers vs Bengals

Najee Harris stiff arms his way to more yards. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Pickett continued his aggressive ways on the next drive, hitting Pat Freiermuth for 29 yard yards down the middle again. Pickett should have had a touchdown pass on that, and a fumble ended that drive two plays later.

Yet on Pittsburgh’s next possession, Pickett hit Diontae Johnson deep for 39 yards in a drive that got the Steelers on the board for 3.

Kenny Pickett didn’t do it alone. He spread the ball out between 8 different receivers. More importantly, the Steelers committed to and succeeded in establishing the run game. Najee Harris had his best game of the season, running for 99 yards in a combination of short yardage grinds paired with double digit runs.

Jaylen Warren did his part with 49 yards on the ground and 13 more through the air.

Defense Makes Browning Look Like a Rookie

A week ago the story was that rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a 5th round pick no one had ever heard of, outplayed Kenny Pickett. Oh, Thompson-Robinson certainly looked like a rookie for most of the game, but he came up big down the stretch and put Cleveland in position to kick the game winner.

The Steelers made Bengals rookie Jake Browning look like a rookie, no asterisk required. To put that into perspective:

  • The Bengals lone touchdown drive came after a 49 yard kick return
  • When they reached the Red Zone next, Trenton Thompson picked off Browning
  • Nick Herbig broke off coverage to sack Browning on third down
  • T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward wrecked multiple drives with sacks
    [Note to Bengals: Maybe it is wise to block T.J. Watt on 3rd and 3 late in the 4th quarter.]
  • Led by Elandon Roberts, the Steelers run defense suffocated Joe Mixon

Credit Ja’Marr Chase for making two catches off of tipped passes. Where it not for those two heads up plays, it would have been a far longer afternoon for Browning.

Pickett Far from Perfect, Takes a Step Forward

Let’s be clear on something important: Kenny Pickett did not enjoy a “breakout” or a “statement” game at Paycor Stadium. The Steelers offense may have broken the 400 yard mark for the first time since week 2 of 2020, but it still only put 16 points on the board.

The fact that Steelers didn’t suffer a single three and out is a positive, but hardly cause for celebration. And if those deep and middle-of-the-field passes are legitimate positives, Pickett still stuck to short, safe passes.

But for the first time all season, the Steelers offense played as if it belonged in the NFL for an entire game. And for the first time all year, Kenny Pickett played kind of game we hoped to see coming out of preseason.

  • And that is an important step forward.

If Kenny Pickett can build off of that step, then hopefully we’ll look back and say that this time Paycor Stadium marked a positive pivot point for Pittsburgh.

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Bending Back with a Vengeance: Steelers Beat Packers 23-19 with Two 4th Quarter Interceptions

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“Alright, that was easy,” proclaimed Mike Tomlin after the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium.

  • The Steelers standard bearer was of course being uncharacteristically sarcastic.

Of course this wasn’t easy. Which is actually appropriate. The Steelers and Packers are two of the NFL’s most storied franchises. Many of their recent matchups have gone down to the wire, and this one lived up to the tradition.

While the caliber of football isn’t strong enough to earn this team any sort of legendary spot in NFL Films lore, it should be noted that Mike Tomlin’s team won because his offense returned to its roots and his defense delivered when the game was on the line. Again.

Patrick Peterson, Keanu Neal, Chistan Watson, Steelers vs Packers

Patrick Peterson tips an end zone pass to Keanu Neal. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review.

Najee Warren, Jaylen Harris Deliver 1-2 Punch on the Ground

There are some jobs in this world where 1 + 1 equals more than two. Think of making a queen-sized bed. Although it’s a bit counter-intuitive, ranking leaves is another, at least in my experience.

  • NFL rushing attacks are a bit harder to pin down.

For a generation, Chuck Noll’s offense dutifully divided carries between running backs. That changed when Bill Cowher arrived.

During the Steelers 1992 season reporters asked if Cowher might ease up on Barry Foster’s workload, Cowher quipped, “Not unless I see parts of his body falling off.” Mike Tomlin said something similar about Fast Willie Parker in 2007, and he’s stuck with his “bell cow” since.

The win over the Packers proves that the running back-by-committee trend has sustained itself. On the Steelers opening drive Najee Harris carried on four out of the Steelers 5 rushes. After Jaylen Warren ripped off a 12 yarder to reach the Red Zone, the Steelers went back to Harris, who found the end zone one the second of consecutive runs.

  • The next time Pittsburgh got the ball, Matt Canada and Eddie Faulkner flipped the script.

Warren saw most of the work, slogging out some and doing better on others, with Harris spelling him for a double-digit carry. Yet, the fact that Warren got dropped for a 1-yard loss after the Steelers reached the Red Zone didn’t prevent them from going back to him 2 plays later.

Warren rewarded the coaches’ faith, ripping off a 16-yard touchdown, giving the Steelers touchdowns on their consecutive opening drives since… God knows when.

Is the fact that the Steelers affirmed their commitment to a two running back system and scored touchdowns on their first two drives for the first time in recent just a coincidence? You decide.

Defense Breaks, Early

The win against the Packers will not and should not be remembered as one of the great defensive performances of the post-Roethlisberger era, let alone anything larger. Jordan Love’s Green Bay Packers are not of the same pedigree as Brett Favre’s or Aaron Rodgers’.

  • Yet, Jordan Love and his offense hung 2 touchdowns on the Steelers defense in the first half.

Worse yet, they made it look easy. And for a time, in the first half, it looked like this game might turn into a score-for-score affair if not a shoot-out similar to the 2009 match up.

The game evolved differently. After breaking early, the Steelers got a second chance.

The Myth of the “Irrelevant Play” on Display

The extra point and the kickoff return are two of the most mundane plays in the modern NFL. A few years ago serious commentators even suggested eliminating the extra point. And the NFL is all but trying to legislate the kick return out of the game.

  • One might be tempted to conclude that both plays are irrelevant.

The win over the Packers gave Steelers fans a double edged reminder that there are no irrelevant plays in the NFL.

  • Patrick Peterson blocked the Packer’s extra point after their second touchdown.
  • Keisean Nixon set up two Green Bay scores with kick returns of 49 and 36 yards
  • Anthony McFarland set up the Steelers penultimate field goal with his own 36 yard kick return

Chuck Noll preached that you win by doing ordinary things extraordinarily. Both Green Bay and Pittsburgh leaned in on this last Sunday. Mike Tomlin’s Steelers leaned in a little further.

Steelers Defense Bends Back – with a Vengeance

Kenny Pickett started the game with a completion to George Pickens right out of the gate. While the Steelers running game deserves credit for the first two touchdown drives, Pickett was sharp on both.

Keanu Neal, Keanu Neal interception end zone, Steelers vs Packers

Keanu Neal with the Steelers 1st 4th quarter interception. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Had Pickett remained similarly sharp or had Diontae Johnson made a few clutch catches the defense’s late game heroics wouldn’t have been necessary.

  • But necessary they were.

The first came with little more than three minutes remaining, immediately after the Steelers had retaken the lead. Green Bay drove the length of the field, reaching Pittsburgh’s 14. There Jordan Love fired a dart to Christian Watson in the end zone. Patrick Peterson tipped it, Keanu Neal intercepted and returned 39 yards.

The Steelers almost ran out the clock as Kenny Pickett was right on the money for a would be game-sealing pass to George Pickens that was negated by a (questionable) Calvin Austin pass interference penalty.

After six plays the Packers were back at Pittsburgh’s 16 – a field goal would do them no good thanks to Peterson’s blocked kick. Again Love targeted Watson:  This time it was Damontae Kazee’s turn to intercept the ball and return in 30 yards as time expired.

The Steelers defense may have broken early, but it bent back with a vengeance when the game was on the line. And that decided the game for Pittsburgh.

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Should We Believe? Steelers Talk of Pairing Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren in Split Backfield

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The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly came out with something interesting at the end of the first week of Steelers 2023 OTAs: Namely that Steelers coaches are exploring ways to get Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

Credit Kaboly for delivering one of juiciest nuggets of come out of what are normally nearly newsless Organized Team Work Outs.

  • Or did he deliver a nugget?

Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. You are wise don your Doubting Thomas cap on this one. But before we delve into the nuances of the question, let’s look at the facts.

Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren

Could we see Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren paired in the same backfield? Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield via SteelerNation.com

First, Kaboly doesn’t simply acknowledge that fans have a right to be skeptical, he gives them reasons to reinforce their skepticism. He points out that the combos of Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams, James Conner and Jaylen Samuels, and Harris and Warren have been on the field a total of 24 times.

However, he gets Jaylen Warren on the record explaining, “They have said they are planning to find ways to get us both on the field at the same time and just do different things with me.”

Kaboly goes further to point out that Matt Canada has been tinkering with a two-back offense and cites the success the Steelers had last year when they had two backs on the field. (Fun Fact: While its clear the Steelers won’t bring Derek Watt back, they were 7-1 in games where Watt got a carry. Just say’in…)

All of this is encouraging news to us Generation X Steelers fans who still pine nostalgically for  a return tothe old Pro Set offensive backfield (cue the “If it was good enough for Franco and Rocky why isn’t it good enough for The Bus and FWP?” quotes), but encouraging only to a point.

  • We have heard stories like this come out of OTAs before.

In fact in 2019 Jim Wexell got confirmation from Jaylen Samuels that the Steelers were experimenting with putting him in the same backfield as James Conner. By Kaboly’s count, that happened 11 times in 2019.

And of course they’ve been other rumblings at other points in the 21st century about the two back offense returning to Pittsburgh, just as stories about “this year the Steelers will give the fullback a few carries each game” and “we’re gonna throw to the tight end more” were training camp staples during the 1990’s. That never happened.

  • But why then, might this time be different?

Well, let’s just say that Kaboly has established some credibility here.

Last year, on June 7th to be precise, Kaboly got Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner on the record discussing his plans to reduce Najee Harris’ snap count. At the time, I read the story with great interest but finished with a big mental “Yeah, right.”

But in 2022, Najee Harris had 313 touches of the ball as opposed to 381 in 2021. Moreover, his snap count dropped further, from 980 offensive snaps to 763 offensive snaps.

One of the reasons why the Steelers were able to but reduce Harris’ workload and get him off the field more often is that Jaylen Warren essentially forced coaches to find ways to get him on the field.

Maybe, just maybe Harris and Warren will find ways to force coaches to put them out together….

 

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Answering Need for Speed, Steelers Draft Anthony McFarland in 4th Round of 2020 NFL Draft

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The Steelers drafted Anthony McFarland Jr. in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, using their first of two 4th round selections to add the running back from Maryland to their backfield.

Anthony McFarland brings just two years of NCAA experience to Pittsburgh. In two seasons with the Terrapins, McFarland rushed for over 1,600 yards, although his production dropped between his freshman and sophomore year due to injuries. With that said, McFarland did break the University of Maryland’s freshman rushing record.

Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner described McFarland as “He’s really explosive.” Faulkner continued, “He sees the crease, and it’s his ability to hit the crease — he gets from 0 to 60 quick.”

  • The highlights video below will bear that out.

What the video won’t show is some of the red or at least yellow injury flags that accompany McFarland’s arrival in Pittsburgh. The Maryland native and DeMatha Catholic graduate missed his senior year of high school with a broken leg, took a red shirt freshman year at Maryland, and then saw a high ankle sprain ruin his second year at Maryland.

Regardless, Anthony McFarland can look forward to seeing familiar faces in Pittsburgh. New Steelers quarterbacks coach Matt Canada was his coach at Maryland in 2018, Derwin Gray blocked for McFarland in 2018, and Mike Tomlin’s son Dino played with McFarland at Maryland, although according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, McFarland admits he never had contact with Tomlin.

Anthony McFarland Jr.

Steelers first 2020 4th round draft pick, Anthony McFarland, Jr. Photo Credit: USA Today Sports images, via NBC.com

Anthony McFarland Video Highlights

While he’s leaving College Park after just two seasons, Anthony McFarland Jr. put plenty on tape to establish his pedigree. Here is a look at his highlight reel:

https://youtu.be/thlKLUJwvUw?t=9

Anthony McFarland ran a 4.44 in the 40 and his burst of speed is more than evident. For comparison’s sake, James Conner clocked in at 4.65, Willie Parker ran a 4.28, Le’Veon Bell ran a 4.6, Benny Snell timed out at 4.65 while Dwight Stone ran a 4.25 (ah, weren’t expect a Dwight Hands of Stone reference, were you?)

So Anthony McFarland’s 40 puts him in good company, adds speed to the backfield and threatens Kerrith Whyte whose 4.36 40 speed is what made him so enticing to the Steelers last fall when Kevin Colbert did a rare bit of practice squad poaching.

Competition brings out the best and the Steelers backfield certainly must improve on its 2019 performance. Welcome to Steelers Nation Anthony McFarland.

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Steelers Hire Bryan McClendon as Wide Receivers Coach

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Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said there’d be changes to his coaching staff at his post-season press conference, and while Tomlin took his time, he’s made good on his promise.

Bryan McClendon, Steelers hire Bryan McClendon

Steelers hire South Carolina’s Bryan McClendon as wide receiver’s coach. Photo Credit: Jamie Gilliam, Icon Sportswire, via Getty Images, via BTSC

The Steelers will hire Bryan McClendon as their wide receivers coach who replaces Ray Sherman who in turn, stepped in to the void when Daryl Drake passed away during training camp. Bryan McClendon was the offensive coordinator at South Carolina and prior to that he coached wide receivers and running backs at Georgia.

Given his past work with running backs, there has been speculation that McClendon’s responsibilities might extend to the running game. There’s certainly precedent for this in Pittsburgh, albeit an aged one; Tony Dungy spent most of his first season as assistant defensive backs coach working with the linebackers.

Any help that Bryan McClendon can provide towards mentoring Benny Snell and/or Kerrith Whyte will be welcome, but his main focus will be to guide the development of Diontae Johnson, Deon Cain, and James Washington while helping JuJu Smith-Schuster realize his potential as true number 1 wide receiver.

Mike Tomlin Goes Back to School Again

Bryan McClendon isn’t the first wide receivers coach that Mike Tomlin has plucked from the Carolina college ranks. After moving Randy Fichtner to from wide receivers to quarterbacks coach following the 2009 season, he hired Scottie Montgomery from Duke to replace him. Montgomery held that position from 2010 until 2012 when he returned to Duke.

  • Tomlin replaced Montgomery by coaxing retired NFL veteran coach Richard Mann out of retirement.

Since then, however, Mike Tomlin has shifted back towards hiring coaches from college ranks. Last year, Tomlin hired N.C. State running backs coach Eddie Faulkner for his first NFL position, and in 2018 previous year he hired longtime college assistant Tom Bradley as defensive backs coach, while replacing John Mitchell with Karl Dunbar, who he hired from Alabama.

Earlier this off season, Mike Tomlin hired Matt Canada, another college coach with no NFL experience to work as quarterbacks coach where he’ll mentor Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges where helping to oversee Ben Roethlisberger’s comeback.

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Is Someone Listening in Pittsburgh? Steeler Draft Benny Snell, Running Back, Kentucky in 4th Round of 2019 Draft

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Throughout much of the Tomlin era, and especially in over the past several seasons the Steelers, sometimes by chance and sometimes by choices, have skimped out on running back depth and it has cost them dearly in December.

  • Kevin Colbert took a step towards addressing that problem when the Steelers drafted Benny Snell Jr., running back out of the University of Kentucky in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Although he scored 25 touchdowns, averaged 5.3 yards per carry and ran for just under 2,000 yards in two seasons for the Wildcats, Benny Snell performed poorly at the Combine, he had a 4.66 40 time, prompting some pre-draft analysts to take them off of their draft boards. Even his hometown paper concluded that Snell failed to help himself at the Combine.

Benny Snell Jr., Steelers 2019 4th round pick Benny Snell Jr.

Kentucky running back Benny Snell Jr. runs for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Bryan Woolston, AP via Yahoo! Sports

  • Clearly, Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Randy Fichtner, new running backs coach Eddie Faulkner felt differently.

Here is a look at Benny Snell’s NCAA Highlight tape:

Clearly, Benny Snell likes to score touchdowns. In Pittsburgh Snell joins a backfield headed by James Conner and Jaylen Samuels, both of whom exceeded expectations in 2018. The Steelers also have Trey Edmunds, brother of Terrell Edmunds, on their roster, although Edmunds has never seen an NFL snap.

  • For the record, the Steelers also have Roosevelt Nix, who technically speaking is a running back, occupying the role of fullback.

During the 2018 season the Pittsburgh Steelers passed more than any other NFL team as Ben Roethlisberger threw 675 passes, far more than he’s ever thrown before.

While many commentators criticized Mike Tomlin and Randy Fichtner for abandoning the running, the imbalance in the Steelers offense began when it became clear that Le’Veon Bell would hold out for the entire season.

  • At that point the Steelers attempted to reduce James Conner’s workload in the hopes of avoiding injury.

That was the first sign that the Steelers brain trust realized that they take a differ approach to how they deployed their running backs. The decision to draft Benny Snell is a second sign and a step in the right direction.

Welcome to Steelers Nation Benny Snell Jr.

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