One crucial adjustment Steelers must make on each side of the football

New England Patriots v Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots v Pittsburgh Steelers | Cooper Neill/GettyImages

As the 2024 season approaches, the team faces a pivotal moment with substantial changes on both sides of the ball. There have been significant changes in personnel and coaching on both the offensive and defensive sides.

With new talent joining the team, adjustments are needed to improve upon last year's performance for the 2024 season. Despite a positive offseason, failure to address these two key areas could lead to disappointing results. Here is one adjustment for the offense and defense to utilize this season.

Attack the middle of the field

Under Matt Canada, numerous issues went unaddressed, leaving the offense consistently unbalanced and underperforming. The middle of the field, a crucial area for any effective passing game, was particularly neglected during his tenure. This lack of utilization severely hindered the offense’s overall effectiveness and prevented it from reaching its full potential.

With Arthur Smith now leading the offense, we can anticipate a significant shift toward a more balanced and dynamic approach. Smith’s offensive philosophy relies heavily on play action and making full use of the middle of the field, which contrasts sharply with Canada’s.

Despite Russell Wilson's difficulties in Denver—particularly with intermediate throws and targeting the middle of the field—Smith's system demands proficiency in these areas to succeed. Below is a tweet by Warren Sharp that highlights Wilson's struggles last year.

Wilson’s struggles in Denver were partly due to issues with this aspect of the passing game, and addressing these weaknesses is crucial for the offense to flourish. The tendency to avoid the middle of the field led to an ineffective passing attack that the Steelers can't afford to replicate. For the offense to be truly effective, the quarterbacks must adapt to this new approach and utilize the middle of the field more consistently.

If the offense is to thrive under Smith's direction, the quarterbacks need to embrace these adjustments and become reliable in exploiting all areas of the field. Only then can the offense reach its potential and avoid the pitfalls of past inefficiencies.

Let Minkah Fitzpatrick play “Minkah Ball”

Due to injuries in the secondary and linebacker positions last season, Minkah Fitzpatrick was frequently moved closer to the line of scrimmage to compensate for the lack of depth at middle linebacker.

As a result, we didn’t see the signature plays from Minkah that we’ve come to expect. This offseason, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has prioritized returning Minkah to his natural role as a free safety, allowing him to roam freely and utilize his ball-hawking skills.

Fitzpatrick excels as the defense’s "center fielder," and playing him in his natural position will maximize his impact. With increased depth at middle linebacker, we can anticipate more of those game-changing plays and turnovers that Minkah is known for.

The secondary will greatly benefit from having him back in his optimal role, where he can make the most significant impact on the game.

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