The Pittsburgh Steelers have made multiple offseason moves that are worthy of either applause or skepticism. Has doing so cemented them as a playoff power?
It only takes half a brain to piece together the fact that the AFC will be no laughing matter this next NFL season.
Sure, the conference was brutal last year, but since then several groundbreaking moves have been made, including but not limited to the Las Vegas Raiders getting Davante Adams, the Buffalo Bills getting Von Miller, and the Miami Dolphins getting Tyreek Hill.
Another AFC team that is hoping to make some noise next season is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have made headlines for a handful of their own offseason acquisitions. Said acquisitions have been seen by most as good grabs, with quarterback Mitch Trubisky, cornerback Levi Wallace, and linebacker Myles Jack perhaps being the biggest names.
But while such talent coming to Pittsburgh is almost certain to better the team, will what fans have seen so far be enough to solidify the Steelers as a playoff power in the AFC? For me, the answer to that question is no.
In terms of offense, my reasoning behind saying so is very simple: I do not feel that an offense led by Mitchell Trubisky (especially following the loss of multiple wide receivers), will be enough to get a foot in the playoff door alongside those of the Chiefs, Bills, Titans, Raiders, Patriots, and so on.
As far as defense is concerned, there shouldn’t be an abundance of obstacles to overcome. A defense headlined by T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Myles Jack, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Levi Wallace is not one to be trifled with by any offense.
However, if the allegations claiming that the NFL is becoming more and more of an offensive game are accurate, then a defensive squad led by a defensive head coach like Mike Tomlin will most likely only make it so far–and however far it gets will still be nowhere near a Super Bowl.
Now yes, there is still a good portion of this offseason to go, including the draft. But the reason I am making this declaration on the Steelers today is that I strongly believe that it won’t change by the time this next season begins. In other words, I feel that the Steelers are that far away from being a truly promising playoff team.
If the season were to start today, a fair projection for Pittsburgh’s win count would probably fall somewhere around seven or eight games. And even with a few more weapons tossed into the mix, the projection wouldn’t get much prettier.
While this realization may be tragic for Steelers fans everywhere, it should not come as a total shock. Pittsburgh hasn’t been a title contender in years, and the only takeaway here is that they won’t be next season, either. But the franchise is nonetheless doing exactly what it should be doing: building up the roster as well as they can. And that, right now, is what matters most.