With final cuts situated now, the Steelers can finally turn their attention to week one of the regular season. They will get ready to face off at home against the San Francisco 49ers. It should be a more successful season than last year. If the preseason is any indicator of this team's potential, they could make some noise in a loaded AFC.
The preseason is one thing when compared to the games that actually count in the regular season. The Steelers have a lot of hopeful spots on their roster and some areas of the club that provide nothing but question marks. There could be some interesting scenarios playing out this year with some bold takes that could be so bold that it just might come true.
10. Allen Robinson scores more touchdowns than Diontae Johnson
One issue that the Steelers offense had last year was the inability to sustain drives and finish them with touchdowns. One of those main issues was Diontae Johnson and his inability and lack of targets in the red zone. He finished last season without any receiving touchdowns, which is a staggering statistic with the fact that he is the top receiver for this offense.
His role might be changing, but don't expect him to repeat another campaign like the one he had last year. Allen Robinson II is now the slot receiver for this team, and he has the ability to make contested catches and get open in the middle. Expect him to get a lot of targets once the offense gets in the red zone, which will give him more touchdowns by the end of the season compared to Johnson.
9. Patrick Peterson gets benched after a tough start to the year
Patrick Peterson is going to have a big role on the Steelers one way or another this year. He will get every chance to be the multi-role player that the team has teased throughout the preseason process. He has been hard at work with the coaching staff, and they seem content with this surprising role to play out in front of everyone’s eyes once the regular season starts.
Peterson is a future Hall of Famer who Pittsburgh signed this past offseason shortly after free agency opened. He did not get much playing time, which is the normal process for aging veterans like himself. When he did play this preseason, those snaps never impressed. Perhaps it was the "meaningless" snaps during those contests that led to him playing it safe.
Another concern is that he was struggling with speed during practices at training camp. Receivers were beating him when they were able to use their speed. It seems like his playing days as a lockdown number one corner might be over. It could be a useless argument if Peterson works out in this new role that the club is apparently cooking up.
Luckily for the Steelers if Peterson is not working out for some reason, there are other options that can fill that void. Joey Porter Jr. is going to be ready to start at any moment and Levi Wallace is a reliable second outside corner option. Pittsburgh also reportedly signed Desmond King earlier this week and that could soften the blow of a potential Peterson benching.
8. The offense finally carries the defense for the first time in a while
It has been years since the black and gold's offense carried the defense when it comes to their ways to win. When the killer bees were around, that offense was lethal, and found different ways to carry a defense that struggled at times. Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le'Veon Bell were all superstar players in their own right.
The only way those three would ruin things was if they did it to themselves. Unfortunately for the Steelers that self-destruction happened, and the team was never able to capitalize and get close to a championship trophy. Ever since those three disbanded the defense was charged with helping the offense with winning games.
The defense has been one of the best units in the NFL for the past several years, with last season being an anomaly. T.J. Watt has led this group by example, and he became one of the best defenders that the franchise has ever seen. If the preseason is any indication, the days of the defense bailing the offense out may be over.
Kenny Pickett and this young offense have a lot of talent and potential heading into this season. Expect the defense to still do well, but this offense could be at another level if Pickett and others live up to the hype. There are still a lot of question marks on offense, but they could be a top team in the league if their offense starts to carry the team to the promised land.
7. Pittsburgh wins the AFC North division title in a tight race
It might not be the most outlandish prediction to imagine the Steelers to win the AFC North division. A handful of experts have jumped on the Steelers hype train heading into the regular season. It is going to be a tough division and most experts believe it is the toughest in the league. Expect a tough battle for the four teams that call it home.
2023 is an interesting year as each club has some question marks heading into their respective schedules. The Steelers obvious one is at quarterback and what kind of progress Kenny Pickett will make in year two. There are also some question marks about what the club's success will look like when game planning comes into the fold.
The good news is that they are not the only club in the AFC North that has issues as the other three teams have issues. The Bengals have question marks in their secondary right now and Joe Burrow's health is always in question. Will Deshaun Watson return to his pre-suspension form? Will the Ravens be able to overcome their offensive line concerns?
All of those question marks will lead to the direct outcome of the division winner this season. The Steelers can win the AFC North if they are able to solve most of their question marks in a positive way. If Pickett can be an above average starter in this league with little turnovers, then Pittsburgh will be in the hunt not only for the playoffs but for the kings of their division.
6. George Pickens leads the NFL in receiving yards this season
Many that cover the black and gold are expecting a breakout performance this season by George Pickens. His rookie year showed some of the great plays that he was able to make in a limited role on an offense that struggled to click. He can take that next step forward if Kenny Pickett is able to throw the ball more downfield.
If things fail for Pickens this year it is most likely a cause of his environment rather than his own quality of play. He has all the tools to make big plays in big moments and help this team win. There are other weapons at receiver and tight end that will get their own opportunities to make plays on offense and it will be up to Pickett to get them the ball.
Diontae Johnson is still the top receiver on the team for now but expect that to change as the season progresses. Pickens seems to be the better player right now heading into the football calendar, but he still needs to prove himself in games that matter. If Pickett and Pickens find a good connection and can push the ball downfield it could be a wild playmaking machine.
A lot of this prediction will depend on how much Pickett is able to throw the ball past the sticks and how much trust he forms with Pickens. This young receiver has all the skills that are necessary to be a top receiver in the NFL and he could do that. Most of his stats will rely on how many targets he gets per game and the quality of his opportunity.
5. The offensive line becomes a top ten group without Broderick Jones
One of the biggest question marks on this roster was the offensive line which seems to mark a common trend with the Steelers over the past three years. It went from being retooled on the fly to rebuilt on the flu to retooled again. This time seems different after much speculation and distrust has mostly been disproven over the past month.
Training camp is the time for competition and the Steelers seem to have three solid tackle options that can flip flop which side they start on. Broderick Jones might not start the season at left tackle, but he will earn that role as his rookie campaign pushes further. Dan Moore Jr. had a good preseason overall to complement most of the offensive line.
Chuks Okorafor could still lose his job at right tackle if Jones does eventually take over on the left side. That would mean Moore slides over to right tackle with Okorafor becoming one of the most expensive swing tackles in football. Even if Jones does not play for an extensive period this season, this group in the trenches has the potential to be a top ten unit in the league.
The interior of the offensive line is the strong point and there are quality depth pieces behind them. All three of the tackles will be what makes the difference, and they showed a lot of positives during the three preseason games. Don't expect greatness, but they could wind up being a top group in the NFL throughout this year.
4. T.J. Watt breaks the single season sack record and wins Defensive player of the year
T.J. Watt has won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year once during his career. He has been on record that he would like to surpass his brother, J.J. Watt's number in that reward column before he retires from the league. That means he will need to win the award three more times to have more Defensive Player of the Year awards than his older brother.
Both will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the appropriate time comes. It will be a tough task for Watt to accomplish, especially with all the politics that go into the NFL award decisions. There is extra motivation this season for Watt as he missed most of last year with a pec injury. He is healthy and raring to go.
Pat McAfee has Watt on his show recently and challenged Watt to break his own record this year for most sacks in a season. He currently holds that honor with Michael Strahan as both are currently tied for the honor with 22.5 sacks. McAfee claimed that he would donate $500,000 to charity if Watt was able to break that record.
Watt seemed excited by the offer which should give him some extra motivation. After missing last year, he will be more motivated than ever to regain his status in the league and help the Steelers win football games. He has been labeled as injury prone in recent years, and that is fair judgment with the time he misses.
When he is healthy there are few players in the NFL that impact their teams' outcomes in a positive light than him. He has been one of the best defensive players in Steelers history and that trend should continue this upcoming schedule. If Watt can stay healthy for most of this season, expect him to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
3. Cam Heyward Retires following the season after a year of slowing down
Most of this prediction will be based on a couple of situations becoming true. The truth of the matter is Father Time is undefeated and Cam Heyward will have his age catch up to him at some point in time. He is 34 years old heading into this season and will probably start to decline sooner rather than later. He cannot keep up his pace of play forever.
His leadership on this team has been unmatched for the past five plus years or so. Heyward leads both vocally and by example. He is helpful in the community and continues to appreciate the Pittsburgh roots that he comes from. Age is the end of all careers, and it might start to show up this season or next.
If Heyward's play starts to decline at a noticeable rate and either DeMarvin Leal or Keeanu Benton steps into his role before the season ends, Heyward could become more expendable. He costs a lot against the cap and could be forced into retirement like many other popular Steelers before him were. That is one reason for the retirement of Heyward following this schedule.
Another would be if the black and gold shocked the world and won the Super Bowl. That is something Heyward has been constantly working towards throughout his career and has come up short during his 12 years in the NFL. If they would win, it would be enticing for the aging veteran to hang up his cleats after conquering the league's highest achievement.
2. Kenny Pickett wins Offensive MVP after a monster season
This would be the boldest prediction in this article if it were not for number one on this list. Kenny Pickett winning MVP for the best offensive player in the NFL would be one of the biggest surprises of the season. Buying in on all the preseason hype with this one here as he did perform extremely well and looked impressive in a stadium atmosphere.
You can say he played against the backups all you want, but he took care of business and dominated in those scenarios. He was accurate with his throws and decisive with his decision making. It will be hard to accomplish this award with the massive number of players that will be up for this award following this season.
Some names that will probably be in competition for Pickett if he plays lights out this year would be Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, and Josh Allen. All of them are explosive quarterbacks who can win football games just off their performances alone. Pickett will struggle to get his name into that crowded room, but it isn't impossible.
Fans of the black and gold would love to see this prediction become reality as it sets up the future of this club perfectly. Pickett has a monster campaign and the offensive woes from the past couple of years go by the wayside. It is going to be hard for Pickett to get to this point, but if he performs just like he did in the preseason then he will be in the conversation.
1. Steelers win Super Bowl 58 and shock the world
Here it is, the biggest prediction for the Steelers this season has them winning the Super Bowl. Finally bringing the Lombardy trophy back to Pittsburgh is something these fans have been dying for ever since they lost their last appearance. That last appearance was over 12 years ago, and it has been over half a decade since the club's last playoff victory.
It is time for this club to finally make it back to the post season and make some noise when they get there. Plenty of question marks still litter the team, but they have plenty of talent that could get them to the promised land. If they can get those question marks to turn into positive contributors, then this team will have what it takes to compete in the NFL.
The biggest outcome will be what Kenny Pickett will be able to do in year two. He has shown great ability in the preseason and has plenty of media and fans buying into what the Steelers are selling as we head into the regular season. The AFC is going to be loaded with talent, but there will be some teams that disappoint.
This defense has what it takes to pressure the quarterback and create some turnovers. The offense has a lot of young talent with high upside potential. If the offense can become a top half offense in the NFL and the defense can get back to their normalcy, this will be a tough team to beat. The Steelers have an easy schedule to work with, so their path to the Super Bowl could be a reality.