So that’s that.
In a yawner of a Super Bowl, the Eagles flexed their considerable roster muscle and outclassed the Chiefs, 40-22, in somewhat humiliating fashion. Losing GMs throughout the NFL looked on with fawning envy, including those in the AFC North.
While the AFC North’s collective outcome wasn’t too awful at .500 (34-34 overall), it’s also not very good – isn’t a .500 record the very definition of mediocrity?
Over the next month or so, I’ll offer a few paragraphs on each team’s 2024 outing and potential offseason direction. This installment covers the division’s Wild Card recipient.
Enjoy.
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), L @ Ravens in AFC Wild Card Round
The Steelers were building something. Then they weren’t.
The Steelers were the best team in the division, with the best coach.
Then they conspicuously weren’t, in both cases.
This is not to pile on the Steelers for their collapse in December and in the playoffs, as plenty of their own fans are doing that in spades after another first round playoff exit. While head coach Mike Tomlin’s squad is essentially guaranteed a winning record every season, the lack of movement in the playoffs since 2016 has become the sorest of spots for an organization that prides itself on winning titles. The Steelers’ front office is very aware of this, and that their chances depend on a few factors; the most notable being consistent QB play, which the Steelers haven’t enjoyed since former QB Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in 2022.
The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers began with that notion in mind, which led them to sign Russell Wilson, known for winning a title in Seattle and spotty, erratic play in Denver, and trade for Justin Fields, the inconsistent-yet-highly-touted former Bear whose trademark ability is his mobility. Fields received the starting job initially due to an injury to Wilson and played pretty well, posting a 4-2 record, passing and rushing for five TDs each, with just one INT. Despite those solid results, a healthy Wilson ascended to the starting role in mid-October and proceeded to win six of seven starts, often employing the deep ball and WR George Pickens, who became Wilson’s primary deep target, and TE Pat Freiermuth, who seems to have internalized what the term “safety valve” means in football parlance.
The rushing game, while not superlative, was effective with holdovers RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren splitting snaps and accounting for 1,554 of the team’s 2,166 total rushing yards, along with seven rushing TDs between the two.
Alas, it all fizzled out in mid-December, as the Steelers lost their final four regular season games before their physical upbraiding in Baltimore in the Wild Card round at the hands of their hated rivals. It’s puzzling that the Steelers never, publicly at least, contemplated changing QBs again during their losing streak, as Fields would’ve offered some real counterbalance to Wilson’s pocket passing skill.
The defense proved to be the team’s best weapon overall, at least until all-world edge rusher T.J. Watt rolled his ankle on December 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles and never looked the same afterwards (coincidentally or not – I think not – this was when the Steelers’ season-ending losing streak began). To that point, Watt had looked the part of a DPoY candidate, often changing the entire trajectory of games via forced turnovers and sacks.
Also of note on defense was the performance of venerable DT Cam Heyward, who posted one his finest years after being written off as a probable age/injury concern (yes, I was among them – sorry, Cam).
The Steelers were quite good on Special Teams, with K Chris Boswell posting an excellent year featuring a multitude of clutch fourth-quarter kicks, and P Corliss Waitman showing consistency in placement and direction, not to mention being the primary place-kicking holder for Boswell.
So once again, the Steelers enter the offseason without a defined QB, although they’ve indicated they’d like for Wilson OR Fields to return. The team has been connected to almost every QB free agent or trade possibility; as of this writing, they’ve made no formal efforts to acquire anyone. The team also has some pressing depth issues on defense, especially in the front seven, and could probably use a solid backup safety and CB. RB also has to be on the offseason “shopping list” as Harris is expected to move on after the team declined his 2025 option last summer.
Next: Bengals. See you then.
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