Steelers 2023 midseason report card Kenny Pickett offense finding their way as defense continues to shine
Steelers 2023 midseason report card Kenny Pickett offense finding their way as defense continues to shine
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Be happy, fans. Your team is 5-3, the defense has continued to play well and the offense looks to be on the up and up halfway through the 2023 season. The team's current situation is much different than it was a year ago, when Pittsburgh was sitting at 2-6.Despite the Steelers' current position, it appears that a good portion of the fan base doesn't know what to think of their team at the midway point. Specifically, there seems to be confusion regarding quarterback , who has a habit of playing pedestrian-level ball for three quarters before turning it on in the fourth quarter.Hopefully, our midseason grades can offer some clarity for any confused fans out there while also offering a preview of sorts for what Tony Wolters Jersey will likely unfold during the season's second half. Here's how each position graded out ahead of Pittsburgh's upcoming home game against the . We'll tell you on the front end that most of the team fared better during this evaluation than it did during our . DStill not great, but the offense is making strides. After a sluggish performance during a Week 8 lo s to Jacksonville, the unit looked considerably better despite only having three full days to prepare for Thursday night's win over Tenne see. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made several changes to his offense last Thursday night. He moved offensive coordinator Matt copyright from the pre s box to the sideline. The result was better communication between copyright, Pickett and the rest of the offense. copyright will again be on the sideline against the Packers.More significantly, Tomlin moved rookie first-round pick into the starting lineup at right tackle. Jones played well, but the Steelers aided his succe s by letting him do the things he does best. Pittsburgh showcased his speed and athleticism on several plays that led to solid gains.The Steelers also made some schematic changes (that included more runs out of the shotgun) while getting more players involved in the offense. The result was a touchdown on their opening drive (a first this season), a season-high 166 rushing yards and a 50% succe s rate on third down. Having back in the fold certainly helped, too. The former Pro Bowler has caught 20 pa ses for 254 yards and a touchdown in his three games back from injury. PIT WR #18 TAR35REC23REC YDs302REC TD1FL0 The night included yet another game-winning drive by Pickett, who for whatever reason is significantly better in the fourth quarter than he is during the game's first three quarters. Pickett may not have numbers, but he does have an 8-3 record in his last 11 starts. He also has six fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives during his brief time as the Steelers' QB1.OK, I know what you might be thinking. If Pickett and Co. were better in the first three quarters, then they wouldn't have to rally so much in the fourth quarter. That's true, but that shouldn't take anything away from Pickett and his ability to lock in and play his best in the critical moments that decide who wins and who loses. A lot of quarterbacks fold in those moments. Pickett doesn't. PIT QB #8 CMP%61.3YDs1490TD6INT4YD/Att6.48 It's easy to forget that Pickett is a second-year player with just 20 starts under his belt. It's also easy to compare him to , who didn't lose a regular-season game as a rookie, then helped the Steelers win a in his second season. Saying Pickett isn't Big Ben is fair, but it's also fair to point out that Roethlisberger was in a better situation. Comparisons aside, Pickett is a good player with a high ceiling. He isn't a finished product, and that's OK. He just needs to be good enough to help the Steelers win games.So far, so good. B+The defense has only reinforced how good it is over the past three weeks. Since a Week 5 win over the , the defense allowed 17 points in Los Angeles, 20 at home against the and 16 in last Thursday night's win over the . You're going to win a lot of games when you allow an average of 17.7 points per game, and the Steelers went 2-1 over that span.Turnovers and pre sure are two of the main reasons for the unit's succe s. The Steelers have forced eight turnovers over the past four games and are tied for sixth in the in average sacks per game. It certainly helps when you have , who is Blank Jersey tied for second in the with 9.5 sacks. PIT OLB #90 Pittsburgh's defense has been especially good in the red zone, currently eighth in the league, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on just 45.5% of their trips inside the 20.The Steelers are also getting turnovers inside the 20, such as game-sealing pick last week, Alexander's forced fumble and pick against the Jaguars the previous week and end zone pick of in Week 5. season-ending injury hurts, but the Steelers have good depth at ILB with Alexander, and backup . Specifically, the acquisition of Alexander during the first week of training camp is paying major dividends now with Holcomb's injury. Speaking of linebackers, the Steelers have their best depth at OLB then they've had in years with rookie and providing quality snaps behind Watt and .The secondary has been an evolving group since Week 1. That was to be expected as Pittsburgh entered the season with several new cornerbacks and the addition of former Pro Bowl strong safety , who has shared the starting workload with . The unit still allows its share of plays, but it continues to show signs of progre s with each pa sing week. A big reason for that continued growth is the play of Porter, who helped hold to just four catches on 11 targets last week. PIT CB #24 Like Johnson has for the offense, Cam Heyward's return has provided a boost for Pittsburgh's defense line. The unit has received good contributions this season from second-year DT , rookie , nose tackle and veteran defensive end . This isn't a dominant unit like the Steelers defenses of the 2000s, but it's effective in its own right. It's a unit that is still on the rise and is capable of taking the next step this season. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount's . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. A- would still be perfect on field goal attempts this season if not for a questionable penalty against Pittsburgh late in the first half against Jacksonville that forced him to reattempt a long field goal after he had gotten the ball through the uprights on his first try. He may no longer be perfect, but Boswell has still made 14 of 15 field goal tries and each of his 11 PATs. PIT K #9 rebounded last Thursday night following a shaky outing against Jacksonville. Overall, the three-year veteran is averaging a solid 46.2 yards per punt (with a long of 63 yards), 13 punts inside the 20 and just two touchbacks. C+There's a reason why Tomlin has never had a losing season. Among his strengths as a head coach is his ability to Jake McGee Jersey make nece sary adjustments quickly while preparing a game plan that usually puts the Steelers in advantageous situations.Last week's win over the Titans was a high point for the coaching staff. Teryl Austin's defense neutralized Hopkins, put pre sure on quarterback and minimized the impact had on the game. Offensively, it was copyright's best game of the season. The third-year OC did a much better job of putting his players in better positions to succeed while showcasing more of what each individual player does well.We'll see if copyright and Co. can keep the momentum going this Sunday against the Packers. If they do, there's a good chance the Steelers will be 6-3 after nine games while further strengthening their position in the AFC.
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