The Steelers rush offense will be in the top half of the league

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the 2022 regular season, but before the real games begin, the team has to head to training camp back at Saint Vincent College in order to fine tune their skills. As we here at BTSC prepare you for the start of camp, we give you a series called “30 Scenarios in 30 Days” which gives you a Steelers scenario every day leading up to the start of camp.

It is simple how it works. We provide you the scenario, reasons why it will or won’t happen, and then our prediction for what we think will take place.

Let’s get to the scenario...

Scenario: The Steelers rush offense will be in the top half of the league

Why it will happen: The Steelers have spent a lot of assets to improve their running game. Not only a top draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft taking Najee Harris, but how they’ve handled this past offseason. The organization brought in Mason Cole and James Daniels to help fortify the interior of the offensive line. The hope is 4th round pick in 2021 Dan Moore Jr. and re-signed Chuks Okorafor will anchor the tackle positions. Throw in the addition of Pat Meyer as the new offensive line coach, and Matt Canada seems to have all he needs to resurrect the Steelers’ dead running game.

Why it won’t happen: Despite the aforementioned moves which were made, you can’t completely change a running game as poorly as the Steelers in one offseason. Could it be better? Absolutely it could be better, but to the point where they are in the top half of the league? That seems like a pipe dream. While the interior of the offensive line certainly is stronger, the tackles give fans plenty of pause heading into the 2022 regular season. To have a dominant running attack, you need to have a dominant line. Even though it will be improved, expecting dramatic results might be too much for the organization.

Prediction: Last year the Steelers averaged 93.1 yards per game on the ground. This ranked 29th in the league. For them to get into the top half of the league, based on 2021 results, they’d have to average 115.0 yards per game. Gaining an extra 22 yards per game seems simple, but in real life it’s a different story. When you look deeper into the stats, you see the team’s 3.9 yards per game as the main culprit. But there is more to it than just the average. The Steelers’ 411 attempts on the ground ranked 27th in the league.

If the Steelers want to improve their ground game, they have to be willing to commit to the run, not abandon the run if things go south. When I think about the Steelers having a running attack in the top half of the league, I absolutely think the fact Matt Canada has a roster which better suits his philosophy has the team on the right track. Throw in a more mobile quarterback, whoever becomes the starter, and the team has the making of an improved running attack.

But will they finish in the top half of the league? Call it a hunch, but my prediction is they will finish in the top half of the league. Will they be dominant, they might have their moments, but it will be tough sledding at times. Nonetheless, I see the Steelers improving their running game to the point where the team does finish in the top half in 2022.

Check out yesterday’s prediction in the link below:

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black and gold as they prepare for the 2022 regular season.