The Pittsburgh Steelers knew this season would require patience after the roster turnover in the off-season, particularly with their franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger calling it quits at the end of last season. Pittsburgh entered the season with the 12th youngest roster with an average age of 26 years, 1 month, and 27 days according to Bookies.com.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) and wide receiver, George Pickens (#14) embrace in warm-ups before a 2022 regular season matchup against the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. |Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Kenny Pickett and George Pickens were the two prize additions the team made at the 2022 NFL Draft, but some of the other later-round picks the organization made back in April, like DeMarvin Leal, Mark Robinson, and Connor Heyward, plus the addition of Jaylen Warren as an undrafted free agent, has the 2022 class shaping up to have the potential to be one of the best ever for the storied franchise.
The team has also depended on a high level of play from other young players on the depth chart like second-year players, Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, and Dan Moore Jr. to claw themselves back into a playoff race and in a position to keep Head Coach Mike Tomlin's impressive streak of no losing seasons alive. Due to the inexperience of the roster, veteran leader, Cam Heyward knew there would be some growing pains as the young guys continued to learn the game at the next level.
Steelers captain, Cam Heyward joined the
"It's just guys learning and you can't fault guys for learning in different situations," Heyward said via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Putting together our o-line, I love the way they are jelling now, but early in the season, they had to find their way."
2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year, TJ Watt also acknowledged the team's early struggles, particularly when he was out of the lineup, and how they've managed to fight their way back this season:
"We had a rough start to the season, but we've been able to grow each and every week," Watt told the media on Friday. "More than anything, we're just a young team."
Steelers' Second Half Surge
How did the Steelers turn it around when so many teams would have gone in the tank at 2-6?
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) January 6, 2023
T.J. Watt: "There was a lot of football left to be played at the time. We knew we needed to turn it around. You can go one of two ways. We weren't gonna lay down by any means."
The continued improvement of the rushing attack with Harris and Warren has been a key in the team's second-half rise and Heyward credited the work the big men up front have put in to jell together:
"This is a completely different offensive line than we had last year," Heyward pointed out. "They've developed cohesion and are finally starting to jell together. They're really getting guys out of their gaps and making sure Najee has straight away angles."
Watt attributed the better record in the second half to the ability to control the football:
"Offensively, we've been able to possess the ball and keep the defense off the field," he said. "When [the defense is] on the field, we've been able to get stops and that's the key to it all. Stopping the run, making tackles and creating a splash.
Playoffs or not, the young roster has put up a fight in what a year that some players have called a rebuilding year. The continued growth over the course of this season, plus work put in during the summer should position the organization to have fewer questions looming when they take the field at the start of 2023 than at the start of this year.
So, Steeler Nation, how do you feel about the growth of not just the rookies, but also the other young players on the roster? Does it give you hope for the future? Let us know in the comments or on social media.
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