Entering 2023, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have all of Steeler Nation's eyes on the offense to see how third-year offensive coordinator, Matt Canada can continue evolve the offense, and how second-year QB Kenny Pickett progresses after a promising finish to his rookie campaign.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) during a game at Acrisure Stadium against the New York Jets on Oct. 2, 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA.
It is very promising that the Steelers have made several high profile additions to their offense, as it is clear they understood the importance of improving a unit that has seemed to be stuck in the mud the last few seasons.
Not only are they attempting to improve through additions to the roster, but they're also putting a focus on seeing how the other great offenses have success around the league.
Speaking on the improvements the offense is attempting to make, second-year tight end, Connor Heyward mentioned some of the things the coaches have put extra emphasis on while he was speaking with Mike Prisuta of WDVE. He mentioned how they're taking a deep dive into the other top offenses in the NFL and working on similar strategies.
"We've been looking at the top three scorers in the National Football League, top three in every category. We want to be one obviously, but top three, all those teams were playoff teams."
The NFL is a copycat league. Once one team has success doing something, almost every team around the league will try to emulate it and see how they can adapt it to their offense. So to hear Heyward say that the Steelers are looking around the league at the top offenses to try and improve shouldn't come as a surprise to many.
Heyward went on to break down which specific statistics they're looking at, as well as what areas are most important to making their offense the best it can be.
"We're looking at improving our yards after catch. Those are opportunities for us to turn big plays into even bigger plays, because that's how you light up the scoreboard. Yards per gain, YAC, literally everything. Yards per catch, first down efficiency, second down and third down [efficiency]. The coaches broke it all down and everyday we're going through each thing."
Steelers are working to maximize their offense in any way possible, something that is much needed after how 2022 left a lot to be desired.
The one area Heyward mentioned that should have Steeler Nation taking notice is the focus on yards after the catch. For several seasons throughout the second half of soon to be Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's career, yards after the catch was a huge part of the offense. Whether it be check downs to running backs, or quick passes on the perimeter to the wide receivers, picking up additional yards was always something that was expected.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Le'Veon Bell was one of the best players in the NFL at securing yards after the catch, and was also one of Ben Roethlisberger's favorite targets.
Despite the Steelers having success throughout Roethlisberger's career after the catch, that couldn't have been further from the truth in 2022.
We all know about Diontae Johnson's struggles last season, as he was unable to find the end zone. However, his ability to gain additional yards after he made the catch might be the more concerning stat. He set career lows in both total yards after the catch and yards after the catch per reception. This doesn't all fall on Johnson, as he ran a different blend of routes in his fourth season setting career highs in average depth of target and yards before the catch.
Having Johnson work more down the field isn't necessarily a bad thing, but with how well he worked after the catch throughout his career, there needs to be a happy medium. With the information Heyward shared, that is hopefully what we can expect to see in that regard for 2023.
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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson evades Packers defenders to turn a short pass into a big gain.
With the Steelers having arguably the deepest skill position group on offense they've had in years, Pickett entering his second season, and a much needed added focus on the offensive side of the ball, it is hard not to be getting excited by Heyward's comments about the potential for the team's offense in 2023.
What do you think about the Steelers' additional focus on the offensive side this offseason? Do you believe there will be strides from the offense in Pickett's second year? Let us know in the comments below!
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