In a word, no. And I could leave it there. Easily. What do we know about the Steelers heading into the 2022 season? Here are 5 things I am sure of:
1. The Steelers Will Live or Die with the O-Line
In a word, offensive. The line has been a problem for the last couple of years, and it actually seems like the Steelers' brass has ignored the issue. It's not cohesive and seems to be chaotic on every snap, and not one player has made any sort of meaningful step towards consistancy. Our first team offense is protected by a 2nd team offensive line. And that's not good. Nothing new here.
2. The Defense is Fragile, At Best
I know there are plenty who would disagree with me on this point, however... how did you feel when TJ Watt went down with a knee injury? When Watt is healthy he is the dominant force on the Steeler's defense. He makes all 10 of the other defenders better. When he is not in the game, there are problems. Combine that with a soft middle at the LB position and you have a poor defense. Watt needs to stay healthy and the LBs need to step up their game, or this will be another tough year. Nothing new here, either.
3. Mitch Trubisky is the Starting QB
Everyone on the Porch knows I'm a Pickett groupie. I actually believe Kenny Pickett showed enough in preaseason to be the starting QB on this team... but not yet. He is definitely ready to step in when (not if) Trubisky either has a string of bad games, or (more likely) get's crushed and has to come out. Their stats in the preseason were similar, so we can discount that, or, at the very least, label it a "tie" and in that case Trubisky's experience win's him the job. Nothing new here, either.
4. Najee Harris Will Carry the Load, Again
This is what he wants, and he should be careful for what he wishes. Najee Harris is a stud RB, but not even he can carry this load for long. Get ready for the same running game we saw last year... Harris fighting through defenders for every yard, and making it look as tough as it really is. Lot's of check-downs coming your way, Steelers fans. Nothing new here.
5. This Season Will Be VERY Similar to Last Year
Are there bright spots? Sure. At WR the Steelers actually have a dynamic bunch of young players in Johnson, Claypool and Pickens. They have a couple young QB's looking to make their mark in Trubisky and Pickett. Their defense could be pretty good. However, it takes a year or two to move on from a Hall-of-Fame caliber QB, and this is the first of those years. Look for this to be a year where the Steelers possibly break even, again. Only thing new here... Ben Roethlisberger is gone. And we all knew that... so really... nothing new here, either.
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