4 stats the Steelers must improve upon in 2023
Pittsburgh's offense was stagnant in 2022; here's where they must improve the most
By Shayne Kubas
The Steelers 2022 season was a tale of two halves. The first half featured a 2-6 start, a T.J. Watt injury, a struggling running game, and a change at QB from veteran Mitch Trubisky to first-round QB Kenny Pickett.
The second half featured a much improved rushing attack, a rejuvenated defense, impressive late-game heroics from Pickett, and most importantly a 7-2 record down the stretch. That surge to end the season kept Coach Mike Tomlin's impressive non-losing season streak alive and nearly earned the Steelers a playoff berth.
They ultimately were left sitting at home despite their improvements down the stretch, so where do they go from here? At the end of the day, there are a few key areas that they struggled in the majority of the season that they must see significant improvement in. If not, they could be on the outside looking in once again. Let's start with what looks to be their preferred identity on offense this season.
Yards per carry, 2022 rank: 25th
The Steelers run game hasn't lived up to its storied history in recent years, and 2022 was no different. They finished 25th in yards per carry at just 4.1, with Najee Harris sitting at an even lower 3.8. That 25th rank is sadly their highest in this category since the 2018 season, and they haven't even been in the top half in the stat since 2016. There is plenty of blame to be thrown around for their struggles running the ball, but the offensive line and the type of backs the Steelers have had are at the top of the list.
Whether it was the end of Le'Veon Bell's tenure, the James Conner years, or now Najee Harris, the Steelers have lacked speed and explosiveness at the position for quite some time. Just being fast doesn't mean you will be efficient, but it does increase the margin for error. It also can be a huge boost to an offense when a big run is broken off. Harris and his backup Jaylen Warren are both still capable of breaking off big runs, it just won't be as often as other backfields around the league.
That's why the Steelers offensive line is even more important to the success of the run game than other teams. If they can't provide clear lanes for Harris and Warren to get up to full speed and punish defenders down the field, they will struggle to be an efficient rushing team. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada does help boost their numbers by incorporating jet sweeps and other non-traditional runs, but this run game will live and die by their two top backs.
Hopefully the additions of guard Isacc Seumalo and rookie tackle Broderick Jones will help get this rushing offense back where it belongs.