Pittsburgh Steelers 2023-24 NFL Season Recap

Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Season Recap

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2023-24 NFL betting season with mid-range expectations from linemakers. Owners of a 9-game win total and figured to bring up the rear of what was expected to be an uber-competitive AFC North Division, Mike Tomlin’s squad overachieved winning ten games to finish third and punch a ticket into the playoffs as a wild-card entrant. In doing so, the Black and Yellow cashed a couple nice plus-money tickets for NFL bettors by qualifying for the second season (+125) and coming in third place (+240). In the end however, it resulted in the same old song and dance for this franchise after immediately getting bounced from the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons.

With the Steel City void of making any postseason waves since losing Super Bowl XLV to the Green Bay Packers all the way back in 2011, speculation of Tomlin calling it quits started to circulate among the interwebs. This was brought to the forefront due to Pittsburgh’s embattled head coach walking off the podium a millisecond after a reporter asked a question about coaching the following season. It was an honest question considering he’ll be entering the final year of his contract and Pittsburgh hasn’t reached the AFC title game since 2016 or hoisted the Lombardi Trophy since 2010. Regardless of whether Mike is back calling the shots in the ‘Burgh next season, walking out of the post-game presser like that certainly planted a seed of doubt in the collective mind of Steelers fans.

T.J. Watt is undoubtedly one of the most vicious pass rushing specialists to ever buckle a chin strap. However, he almost always seems to be roaming the sideline injured whenever the team needs his specialty the most. On top of that, the quarterback position has been a revolving carousel ever since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats with Kenny Pickett doing absolutely nothing through two seasons to get Steelers fans excited about him leading the offense into the future. While Mason Rudolph consistently brought efficiency under center the last month-plus of the NFL betting season, are we to truly believe he’s the QB1 of the future? The Steelers offense closed the year ranked No. 25 overall with the passing game averaging a paltry 186.1 yards per game (No. 25). That simply doesn’t cut it with excelled pass catchers like Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, and Pat Freiermuth on the roster!

Gone too are the days of the defense being one of the more dominant units in the league. Sure, the unit ranked twelfth in sack percentage throwing opposing field generals to the turf an average of 2.7 times per game, but still proved to be a sieve against both the pass (No. 17) and the run (No. 19). While Joey Porter Jr. put forth an exceptional rookie campaign and inserted a bit of youth into that side of the ball, the defense as a whole has gotten extremely long in the tooth and needs younger reinforcements brought on in the worst of ways. If not for ranking fifth in the takeaway department, Pittsburgh would’ve ranked out even worse than No. 21 overall which is where it clocked in over the course of the regular season.

Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 Offseason

17 consecutive non-losing seasons and counting under the watch of Mike Tomlin and his staff. So where do the Steelers go from here to start making some real noise again? I personally think it begins and ends at the quarterback position for this franchise with it and Cleveland owners of the worst field generals in the division. Pickett has been nothing short of a bust, so I believe it to be high-time that problem area is nipped in the bud – he’s not the guy! Whether by trading up or going the route of free agency, a competent quarterback must be brought into the Steel City to get the offense firing on all cylinders once again. The components are there to make it happen, but the engine will continue to sputter until that faulty spark plug is replaced.

Tomlin has already come out publicly and stated to his players and press that he’ll be back next season. Talk is cheap, so it’s still TBD as to whether he’ll be roaming the sideline for the eighteenth straight year. With pick No. 20 in the first round and six other selections the remainder of the NFL Draft, look for GM Omar Khan to take a deep dive into the quarterback position and possibly make one of the biggest moves of the draft to get into a position to snag either Jayden Daniels or Michael Penix Jr. Either would make sweet music with the current pass catching corps! From there, I firmly expect more firepower to be brought in on the defensive side of the ball with the main intent being inserting a youth movement.

Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule & Results

The Rooney family has owned the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1933. Original owner Art Rooney bought the franchise after hitting a big bet on a horse race. As incredible as it sounds, the Steelers were not a success in the first four decades under Rooney’s ownership. In fact, they were a laughingstock. From 1933 through 1971, the Steelers had one playoff appearance.

In 1972 the franchise saw a dramatic turnaround that has lasted until today. Pittsburgh made the playoffs as AFC Central champions. In the 1972 AFC divisional playoffs, the Steelers beat the Oakland Raiders with the famed “Immaculate Reception.” The franchise took off with eight consecutive playoff appearances and four Super Bowl titles.

Stability is the hallmark of the Steelers. Since 1969 they have had three head coaches. Mike Tomlin has served in that role since 2007.

Pittsburgh Steelers Past Seasons (2000)

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