Three Ways the Pittsburgh Steelers Can Bolster Their Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been the subject of heavy criticism at the outset of the 2023 NFL season. Despite a decent 2-2 record to start, the team has displayed an incredibly underwhelming offensive performance following what had seemed to be a promising offseason.

The 6-time Super Bowl champs were able to make several good-looking signings including bringing in veterans Allen Robinson and Isaac Seumalo. Pittsburgh also found some offensive success in the draft, trading up to select Broderick Jones with their first pick. Despite these moves, a mixture of streaky quarterback play, abysmal play-calling, and questionable lineups have left Steelers fans with a lot to be desired.

With that noted let's look at three ways Pittsburgh can bounce back quickly and bolster this subpar offense.

Three Ways the Pittsburgh Steelers Can Improve Their Offense

Firing OC Matt Canada

Possibly the biggest issue with the Steelers' offense lies with their problems at Offensive Coordinator. Since his hiring in 2021, Pittsburgh has ranked 21st, 26th, and 25th in points, and 23rd, 23rd, and 29th in yards. Both passing and rushing units have ranked in the bottom half of the entire NFL in yards and have only ranked in the top half of the league one in each category.

Playcalling is a glaring issue for this Steelers' offense and is a big issue for a team that is used to being able to have their way on the ground and translate it to the air. In his 39 games as Offensive Coordinator for the Steelers, his offense has never had a 400-yard game. For some comparison, in that time frame, every other NFL team has managed at least four.

This is Pittsburgh's biggest issue by far and has put Canada on a pedestal for hate from Steelers fans, as 'Fire Canada' chants have been heard from Acrisure Stadium numerous times.

Quarterback Change

The Steelers' selection of Kenny Pickett with their 24th overall pick in 2022 was met with immediate criticism from analysts and media personnel around the NFL. Many felt that the former Pitt Panther would have been available to the team in the second or third round of the draft as opposed to the first. Despite that criticism though, Pickett has shown flashes of solid arm talent and displayed his clutch gene with several game-winning drives as a rookie.

Looking to this season, Pickett and the Steelers offense was expected to have a big year with their new weapons and development. This obviously hasn't been the case as the Steelers currently rank 25th in points and 29th in yards and have tallied a 300-yard game just once. This could also be attributed to coaching, but some of the blame can be placed on Pickett's shaky decision-making and accuracy.

With some solid quarterback talent on the market, one has to wonder if Pittsburgh could look to make a move to give Pickett some more time to develop.

Benching Dan Moore Jr.

Why the Steelers continue to start Dan Moore Jr. over Broderick Jones is confusing to many. The former Texas A&M Aggie has been graded as the worst starting tackle in football and is seen continually being beaten on the outside.

Pittsburgh moved up in the draft to select Jones and even though he's a raw talent, he possesses the tools and speed that Moore just can't compete with. The Steelers selected Moore in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft and has been in and out of the rotation with streaky play since brought in.

With how much the Steelers loved Jones through the draft process and camp, it stands as a mystery why they don't allow him to start and develop.