There is no doubt that the AFC has a ton of serious talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to find ways to keep up with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, as well as Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in regular season games this year. Names like Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Derek Carr aren't on the schedule, but a path to the Super Bowl would potentially cross their paths.
Those are all just quarterbacks. The amount of talent outside of the signal-caller position and the scoring capability in the AFC is the best we have seen in years.
Five of the top seven scoring teams in the NFL last season came from the AFC. Teams like the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns made moves in the off-season to try and keep up with a loaded AFC. Whenever Deshaun Watson's suspension is up (if suspended at all), the Browns could potentially have another scary offensive unit. The AFC North could be the most dangerous offensive division in football along with the AFC West.
There are ways for the Steelers to keep up with the offensive firepower that the AFC possesses, but the team will have to make a quick turnaround from an offense that was extremely hard to watch for the majority of the 2021 season. Here are the ways that Matt Canada's group can accomplish that.
1.) Establish The Run, Utilize Play Action
The Steelers have a young star in Najee Harris who arrived at OTA’s looking in even better shape this year. If the beginning of the season can have a rejuvenated offensive line open holes for the second year running back, he could be one of the best ball carriers in all of football. Establishing the run would also help out whoever is starting his first year at quarterback for the Steelers.
AP Photo / Keith Srakocic
Once defenses are worried about Harris, it opens up a play-action passing game that the team has not possessed since Le'Veon Bell was taking handoffs. The offense has plenty of weapons at its disposal and using all of the talent in the right ways will be critical to scoring 24 or more points per game. All of the top offenses in the NFL have a strong play-action playbook and the Steelers need to match the aggressiveness.
2.) Use Chase Claypool Similar To His Rookie Season
I have been very critical of Claypool. He took a big step back in his sophomore season. The third year wide receiver out of Notre Dame had just two total touchdowns in 2021 compared to his 11 in 2020. He was one of the top options in the red zone and it was almost nonexistent last season. Claypool is a big body at 6'4” and the Steelers need to emphasize his strengths. Defenses worrying about him in the red zone lead to openings for Pat Freiermuth and Diontae Johnson. Production, consistently, is what the offense needs from Claypool.
3.) Throw The Ball Downfield
The Steelers offense with Ben Roethlisberger the last two seasons was not the same after his elbow surgery in 2019. Shots down the field were minimal and big plays were few and far between. Every quarterback on the roster has a fresh arm and the ability to throw the deep ball. You can't be explosive as an offense if you are consistently throwing the ball 10 or less yards in the air. It is imperative that Canada taps into the arm potential of his starting quarterback and uses the athleticism that his wide receivers possess.
4.) Let The Quarterback Be Aggressive
Canada will be working with three new quarterbacks this season in Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Chris Oladokun. This shouldn't lead to a more passive approach to minimize mistakes. The best quarterbacks in the game today make something out of nothing on a consistent basis. Getting the ball out of their hands quickly is no longer a priority with Roethlisberger retiring. Mistakes might happen, but running a submissive offense in today's NFL doesn't lead to explosiveness. Whoever is the signal-caller should have the freedom and opportunity to be creative and aggressive all season, regardless of experience in the NFL or with the Steelers.
How do you think the Steelers offense can be more explosive and keep up with the top groups in the AFC? Let us know in the comments below!
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