There is no shortage of firepower when it comes to the current landscape of NFL offenses. It seems like each year the league moves more in the direction of powerful offenses dominating. It is obvious by the teams that have been successful in recent history like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Philadelphia Eagles. Dominating offense is the future of the league.
Can the Steelers' reliance on a star-studded defense combat the high-powered offenses of the modern game? Or will the powerful offenses prevail? These are questions that we will find the answers to pretty early in the 2023 season. While most of the league is turning towards the Offensive play style of the future, the Steelers are sticking to the brand of Football that has brought them success throughout their storied history.
Here's a look at the top four offenses the Steelers will face this upcoming season.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals offense led by Joe Burrow, continues to be a challenging matchup for any defense to face; let alone twice in a season. The air raid offense that the Bengals run with the receiving weapons of Jamaar Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, is very effective and can pick apart a weak secondary. With Joe Burrow and his crew each with multiple years of experience, they know exactly how to run a Super Bowl-contending offense.
Last season, the Steelers began the year by intercepting Joe Burrow five times and sacking him seven times. The key to dismantling the Bengals' offense is through their biggest weakness, their offensive line. With the Steelers' stellar front 7 and pass rush, they need to take advantage of a weaker Bengals offensive line just as they did a year ago.
In the second matchup of the year between the Steelers and the Bengals, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins went to work on the Steelers' secondary. Even without Jamaar Chase due to injury, Joe Burrow threw for 355 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also throwing two interceptions. The Steelers caught a break with the news that the Bengals' No.1 receiving option would be out, but they didn't take advantage of it, instead allowing Tee Higgins to catch 9 balls for 148 yards in a 37-30 loss.