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Though the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2021-22 season felt underwhelming at times, the team still finished with a winning record (9-7-1). That record was good enough for 2nd place in the AFC North — one of the NFL’s toughest divisions — and led to a Wild Card playoff berth against the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2022-23, the franchise will look for improvements in many areas, but without long-time quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, some still question whether the Steelers will improve this year. Below are three reasons why the Steelers will succeed in the coming season.
In 2007, the Steelers hired a young former defensive coordinator to fill their coaching vacancy — a position that only two had held before him since 1969. The Steelers’ tradition of success had started with the Chuck Noll era, carried over into the Bill Cowher era, and was then placed upon the shoulders of Mike Tomlin.
Since being hired, Tomlin has upheld his end of the deal exceptionally well. Thus far in his career, Tomlin has coached the Steelers for 15 seasons and has amassed a 154-85-2 record with the Black and Gold. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Tomlin has won seven division titles, two conference titles, and one Super Bowl and has set an NFL record of 15-straight years without a losing season.
Even with Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges at the helm in 2019, the Steelers still found a way to finish with an 8-8 record. Heading into the 2022-23 season, Steelers fans can rest easy knowing that their franchise is led by a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach, who has a history filled with nothing but winning.
Even though the Steelers finished last season with the 20th-ranked defense in both total defense and scoring defense, Pittsburgh still returns a ton of talent all over their defensive line and beyond. Led by single-season NFL sack record-holder TJ Watt, the Steelers defense could easily find itself a top-10 unit in the coming season.
With the help of the NFL Draft and free agency, the Steelers defense has all of the right pieces to be one of the top squads in the league. That said, there are still two critical areas that the franchise needs to work on this offseason to build a competitive defensive unit.
As for the secondary, the Steelers have many good options to pursue. One of many names from last season’s roster, Joe Haden, is a potential candidate for a re-sign that would help strengthen the Steelers’ roster heading into next season. A second option would be to search for a new, younger corner in the draft.
The Steelers’ linebacker corps could also use some help heading into next season. After seeing weak inside linebacker play, the front office very well could either draft a new linebacker or go after a big-name free agent to fill the gap. In free agency, one name that comes to mind would be Bobby Wagner — the former Seattle star — who was just cut from the Seahawks. If Wagner comes at the right price, he could be an elite-level pickup for the Steelers.
Since the creation of the NFL, only one team has won six Super Bowl trophies across multiple decades and coaches: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have now hired three straight Hall of Fame-caliber coaches, Tomlin being the most recent, and are owned by a family that genuinely cares about the team and its success. The last time the Steelers have fired a head coach was in 1968 — the same year that Richard Nixon was elected president.
Known for being one of, if not the most functional organizations in all of professional sports, the Steelers combine an incredible mix of front office work, coaching skills, and talented players through the draft, free agency, and otherwise. With the NFL draft and free agency period upon us, expect the Steelers to make strides as an organization. There is a reason this franchise has only had one losing season since the year 2000, so for now, Steelers fans should just sit back and know that everything will be worked out.
Do you think that the Steelers will have a successful season in 2022-23? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Reason one: Mike Tomlin is still the head coach
In 2007, the Steelers hired a young former defensive coordinator to fill their coaching vacancy — a position that only two had held before him since 1969. The Steelers’ tradition of success had started with the Chuck Noll era, carried over into the Bill Cowher era, and was then placed upon the shoulders of Mike Tomlin.
Since being hired, Tomlin has upheld his end of the deal exceptionally well. Thus far in his career, Tomlin has coached the Steelers for 15 seasons and has amassed a 154-85-2 record with the Black and Gold. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Tomlin has won seven division titles, two conference titles, and one Super Bowl and has set an NFL record of 15-straight years without a losing season.
Even with Mason Rudolph and Devlin “Duck” Hodges at the helm in 2019, the Steelers still found a way to finish with an 8-8 record. Heading into the 2022-23 season, Steelers fans can rest easy knowing that their franchise is led by a first-ballot Hall of Fame coach, who has a history filled with nothing but winning.
Reason two: The defense is in good shape
Even though the Steelers finished last season with the 20th-ranked defense in both total defense and scoring defense, Pittsburgh still returns a ton of talent all over their defensive line and beyond. Led by single-season NFL sack record-holder TJ Watt, the Steelers defense could easily find itself a top-10 unit in the coming season.
With the help of the NFL Draft and free agency, the Steelers defense has all of the right pieces to be one of the top squads in the league. That said, there are still two critical areas that the franchise needs to work on this offseason to build a competitive defensive unit.
As for the secondary, the Steelers have many good options to pursue. One of many names from last season’s roster, Joe Haden, is a potential candidate for a re-sign that would help strengthen the Steelers’ roster heading into next season. A second option would be to search for a new, younger corner in the draft.
The Steelers’ linebacker corps could also use some help heading into next season. After seeing weak inside linebacker play, the front office very well could either draft a new linebacker or go after a big-name free agent to fill the gap. In free agency, one name that comes to mind would be Bobby Wagner — the former Seattle star — who was just cut from the Seahawks. If Wagner comes at the right price, he could be an elite-level pickup for the Steelers.
Reason three: The front office
Since the creation of the NFL, only one team has won six Super Bowl trophies across multiple decades and coaches: the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have now hired three straight Hall of Fame-caliber coaches, Tomlin being the most recent, and are owned by a family that genuinely cares about the team and its success. The last time the Steelers have fired a head coach was in 1968 — the same year that Richard Nixon was elected president.
Known for being one of, if not the most functional organizations in all of professional sports, the Steelers combine an incredible mix of front office work, coaching skills, and talented players through the draft, free agency, and otherwise. With the NFL draft and free agency period upon us, expect the Steelers to make strides as an organization. There is a reason this franchise has only had one losing season since the year 2000, so for now, Steelers fans should just sit back and know that everything will be worked out.
Do you think that the Steelers will have a successful season in 2022-23? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
