The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the 2022 season on a high note. They were one of the hottest teams in the league in the second half, winning seven out of their last nine games to help Mike Tomlin extend his streak of consecutive seasons without being below the .500 mark to 16.
Heading into the 2023 campaign, Tomlin will not only be looking to extend his record-long streak but top it off with a playoff appearance. Given the job that general manager Omar Khan did this offseason, that is a goal that is certainly within reach.
One of the additions that were made was veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson. Coming off of one of the best seasons of his illustrious career, Peterson will bring stability and experience to a cornerback group that was solid but lacking a true top option.
During a recent appearance on The Jim Rome Show, Peterson spoke about a number of Steelers topics. He believes that the team, at least defensively, has enough to match up with any team in the NFL. That echoes the sentiment that pass rusher Alex Highsmith shared, as he believes the Steelers could have the best defense in the league.
Peterson was complimentary of the offense as well, naming some of the talent that is in place. Ultimately, he believes that that unit will only go as far as quarterback Kenny Pickett is able to take them.
“I do, and what it’s going to come down to is we have all the pieces that we need on defense,” Peterson said. “We know defense wins championships. We have talent across the board on the offensive side of the ball. I believe the front office did a great job of getting what we needed in the draft as far as getting Broderick [Jones] in the first round, a left tackle, young pup who you should expect to see play a lot. You added Allen Robinson, you got Diontae Johnson, you got George Pickens, you got Najee [Harris]. You know it’s all going to come down to how well Kenny can play and can he put the ball where it needs to go. I believe he is a guy that we can rely on, a guy that we can count on. Now it’s all going to fall on him if he can go out there and show us what he’s capable of doing.”
Heading into Year 2, Pickett’s development is integral to the Steelers reaching the level that the players on the team feel that they can reach. After a tough start to his career, he turned things around in the final nine games of the season, with his ball security being the biggest change.
The pieces are in place for the Steelers to have a dynamic offense. Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and Allen Robinson are a strong trio at wide receiver. Pat Freiermuth is an excellent tight end while Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are a solid running back duo as well.
With improvements to the offensive line also made this offseason, Pickett and the offense could really be in business. As long as Peterson and the defense hold up their end of the deal, this is a team that can make some noise in 2023.
