New England Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks (14) celebrates his touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
“You start looking at New England now and they’re becoming the Steelers. The difference is the Steelers at least draft the offense well. They’re great at [doing it]. They have drafted tight ends, receivers, backs – New England can’t draft it, I don’t know if they can develop it, and they can’t even buy it.”
"The Patriots are becoming the Steelers, but the difference is the Steelers at least draft offense well... New England can't draft it and I don't know if they can develop it." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/bbvHtoQarm
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 11, 2022
Let’s unpack this.
Steelers Draft History Compared to the Patriots
For the most part, Cowherd is handing the Steelers a massive compliment, and he hit the nail on the head. Steeler Nation has seen the front office find gems at the wide receiver, running back and tight end position in the early and late round picks over the years:
- 2005: Pick 30 - Heath Miller
- 2006: Pick 25 - Santonio Holmes
- 2008: Pick 23 – Rashard Mendenhall
- 2009: Pick 84 – Mike Wallace
- 2010: Pick 82 – Emmanuel Sanders
- 2010: Pick 195 – Antonio Brown
- 2013: Pick 48 – Le’Veon Bell
- 2014: Pick 118 – Martavis Bryant
- 2017: Pick 62 – JuJu Smith-Schuster
- 2017: Pick 105 – James Conner
- 2019: Pick 66 – Diontae Johnson
- 2020: Pick 49 – Chase Claypool
- 2021: Pick 24 – Najee Harris
- 2021: Pick 55 – Pat Freiermuth
Now, let’s take a look at a select few skill players that the Patriots drafted over the past years who have developed into legitimate threats:
- 2009: Pick 232 - Julian Edelman
- 2011: Pick 73 - Stevan Ridley
- 2014: Pick 130 - James White
- 2018: Pick 31 - Sony Michel
- 2019: Pick 32 - N’Keal Harry
- 2019: Pick 87 – Damien Harris
What the Patriots have done well over the years is rely on former quarterback, Tom Brady in a two tight-end offense who has seen the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez over the years. However, since Brady’s departure, the firepower has been lackluster without the ability to draft position players well and developing them. It’s not just losing Brady, it’s losing Josh McDaniels, former offensive coordinator, and Donte Scarnecchia, former Patriots assistant head coach and offensive line coach.
Offenses Operating Without a True Franchise QB
Dec 16, 2018; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) meet at mid-field after playing at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won 17-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
It’s no secret that the Patriots offense was going to take a step back after Brady, and 2021 was proof. With Mac Jones leading the offense, the output just wasn’t there. After Brady’s departure in 2019, the Patriots have finished no better than 15th in the NFL in total offense.
For the Steelers, the last couple of years for the offense have been underwhelming to say the least. Ben Roethlisberger was in the waning years of his illustrious career and wasn’t able to effectively push the ball own the field. As a result, Roethlisberger, coupled with young skill position players, finished no better than 15th in the NFL in 2020 and 2021.
Many reports out of Patriots camp aren’t favorable. Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal:
“They couldn’t run block. They couldn’t pass block. There was miscommunication with offensive targets. There was an interception on an errant throw.”
He continues to reiterate that the departure of McDaniels has been a contributing factor to the poor performance for the offense.
“The install to this offense has Jones’ group often looking disorganized.”
At the Steelers camp, we’ve seen the bright spots of our young guys, and naturally, we’ve seen some growing pains. George Pickens continues to turn heads, and recently acquired Master Teague III is showing his strength and power. So far, though, it appears that the Steelers are ahead of schedule compared to the Patriots.
We will find out which team is better come Week 2 of the regular season when the Patriots come to town.
What do you think of Cowherd's comments? Let's us know in the comments below!
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