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It’s “awards prediction season” in the NFL, folks. Earlier this week, I posted an article projecting the Pittsburgh Steelers award winners for traditional categories like MVP and Rookie of the Year. In this piece, part 2 of the same project, I wanted to speculate about some less traditional “awards” for 2022.
Just like with the previous essay, I’ll include a short descriptor to each, and make a case for who I’ve picked. But I’ll also include a poll for each category, including “other” as an option (in case you feel like I missed an important choice).
My goal, as always, is to start a few arguments in the comments section, so have at it. Also, since there is an opportunity to revisit this stuff at midseason or the end of the year, if anyone has a suggestion for a category to add, toss it out in the comments. On with the show. Go Steelers.
The shorthand list. Explanations and polls to follow.
People’s Choice Award: Kenny Pickett
People’s Goat “Award”: Benny Snell Jr.
Biggest (projected) Disappointment: Takeaways
Pleasant (projected) Surprise: Mid-range passing
Weakest Link: Offensive Line
Strongest Unit: Wide Receivers
Biggest Loss: Joe Haden
Addition by Subtraction: JuJu Smith-Schuster
Unsung Hero: Terrell Edmunds
Biggest Wish for Regular Season: 6-0 division record
People’s Choice Award —
This is a good place to start. I think there are guys that, every time they do something (anything), we all get stoked. Think of fans chanting “Heeeeeath” even after he retired. Or how Brett Keisel’s beard became a sensation while he was playing Pro Bowl level, or how likeable Juju in his rookie season. Who do you expect to say, “man, I love this guy!” at least once or twice per game?
Poll
People’s Choice Award
This poll is closed
-
23%
Kenny Pickett
(47 votes) -
6%
Mark Robinson
(13 votes) -
28%
George Pickens
(58 votes) -
5%
Myles Jack
(12 votes) -
35%
Pat Freiermuth
(73 votes) -
0%
Other
(1 vote)
My Choice: Kenny Pickett. Man, this is a tough one. It came down to Pickett and Robinson for me. Pickett’s charisma and local ties are already borderline legendary (you can hear the “Kenny” chants from Ohio). And Robinson has a great story (who converts from running back to ILB in the middle of college, and makes it work?); plus he’s a hard hitter and big-time hustler. I love his play. But I’ve got a feeling we’re not going to see enough Robinson in the defensive rotation to make us all excited. I expect to see Kenny under center before season’s end.
People’s Goat “Award” —
I’ve asked this one a couple times; it’s one of my more favorite questions for the polls. I consider it an opportunity for Steelers Nation to admit that we’re not always fair to our own. If you were a fan in the 90s, think of Kordell Stewart as a good example. A dozen years ago, you might have said Rashard Mendenhall — a two-time 1000 yard rusher who carried the offense during Ben’s 2010 suspension, but was oddly hated by many. Five years ago, it might have been Bud Dupree, who was never a bad player, but got smeared as a bust for years (before his breakout in 2019). These aren’t necessarily stars, but they’re also not bums — they’re perfectly fine players who are just detested for some reason.
Poll
People’s Goat Award
This poll is closed
-
9%
Chuks Okorafor
(18 votes) -
6%
Benny Snell Jr.
(12 votes) -
27%
Mason Rudolph
(54 votes) -
9%
Chase Claypool
(18 votes) -
40%
Devin Bush
(80 votes) -
4%
Robert Spillane
(8 votes) -
4%
Other
(9 votes)
My Choice: Benny Snell. Few players take as much abuse from the fan base (at least on BTSC) as Snell — a backup running back who really hasn’t played badly at all, despite suspect offensive line play, mediocre offensive scheming, and inconsistent QBs. I’ve never understood it. (Did Chris Fuamatu-Ma’afala have this many haters?) Whether you think he’s a useful fourth quarter clock-bleeder that the Steelers under-utilize (like I do), or that he’s an under-performing backup who gets his hat for special teams (like most of you probably do), the passion behind hating Benny Snell has always seemed disproportionate to me. Mason Rudolph is probably the betting favorite for this award (for good reason), but Snell is my winner.
Biggest (projected) Disappointment —
This is not really an “award” of course. I’m thinking of it as an element of the team that appears to be a strength (or at least solid), but which you think will wind up disappointing us all. Nothing would make me happier than to have all of these areas remain strengths, but no one can know just yet.
Poll
Biggest (projected) Disappointment
This poll is closed
-
13%
Pass Coverage
(25 votes) -
7%
Takeaways
(15 votes) -
57%
Rushing Offense
(110 votes) -
5%
Rookie Production
(11 votes) -
15%
Other
(30 votes)
My Choice: Takeaways. The Steelers defense led the league in takeaways over a two-year period during their recent resurgence (2019-2020). While the turnover numbers dropped in 2021, they still weren’t bad. In fact, during their late-season 5-2 sprint, they averaged 2.4 takeaways per game, which would have led the league by a mile. So I think we’re all expecting the trend to continue. But I’m always nervous about TOs. Interceptions can be manufactured by an aggressive defense, but fumbles are a fickle mistress — when the ball hits the grass, chaos follows, so recovering fumbles is a craps-shoot. I’m crossing my fingers that the Steelers keep up their outstanding pace, but I fear they may not.
Pleasant (projected) Surprise —
This is the opposite of the Biggest Disappointment: the area that we’re most concerned about based on recent history, but that you predict will be a strength this season.
Poll
Pleasant Surprise (projected)
This poll is closed
-
23%
Rush Defense
(44 votes) -
22%
Mid-Range Passing Offense
(43 votes) -
19%
Deep Passing Offense
(37 votes) -
7%
Tackling
(14 votes) -
8%
Third Down Defense
(16 votes) -
15%
First Quarters
(29 votes) -
2%
Other
(5 votes)
My Choice: Mid-range passing. One of my most consistent irritations from the last two or three years has been the Steelers inability/unwillingness to throw those 8-12 yard passes that sustain drives. Part of this derived from the offensive line’s failure to protect Ben Roethlisberger, who had to get the ball out of his hands at lightning pace as a result — thereby preventing his guys from getting up the field. But just as often, the Steelers’ offensive philosophy was (as former Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner put it): “pass short; run long.” But 25 two-yard passes, followed by five 50-yard bombs is not how you win games. You have to work the field. I’m hoping that the mobile young QBs can throw some mid-range darts this year.
Weakest Link —
This one is probably self-explanatory. In choosing the options, I decided to emphasize units rather than individual players, since players could be replaced if they aren’t measuring up. For example, if we thought the weak link in 2020 was “RB,” it wouldn’t just mean James Conner, but all the guys behind him who couldn’t beat him out.
Poll
Weakest Link
This poll is closed
-
84%
Offensive Line
(163 votes) -
0%
Secondary
(0 votes) -
6%
Inside Linebackers
(13 votes) -
0%
Edge Rushers (not named Watt)
(0 votes) -
3%
Running Backs (not named Harris)
(6 votes) -
4%
Depth across the board
(9 votes) -
0%
Other
(1 vote)
My Choice: Offensive Line. I’m going for the low-hanging fruit here. But I have a feeling this one is going to win in a walk. I’ve defended the offensive line several times recently — noting that OL is more of a coordinated unit than we usually think, and with a bunch of new faces, there’s going to be some bumbling. But I’m troubled by some of the actual individual performances too. I expected James Daniels and Dan Moore to be rising stars this year, but it’s not looking that way right now. In the end, I can’t think of a unit or facet of this team that is shakier.
Strongest Unit —
Poll
Strongest Unit
This poll is closed
-
4%
Quarterbacks
(9 votes) -
55%
Wide Receivers
(105 votes) -
3%
Tight Ends
(7 votes) -
2%
Cornerbacks
(4 votes) -
28%
Defensive Line
(54 votes) -
4%
Special Teams
(9 votes) -
1%
Other
(2 votes)
My Choice: Wide Receivers. Let me acknowledge off the top that I can’t believe I’m including special teams on this list, but honestly, they look terrific. Several good returners, one of the best kickers in the league, an (apparently) improved punter, and good coverage teams. What will the Danny Smith haters do if they keep showing up? That said, it’s obvious to me that the WR room is in a class by itself. There were probably eight or ten bodies in camp/preseason who could be legit NFL players, which is absurd depth. But the top of the chart is also spectacularly high. Diontae Johnson has been to the Pro Bowl already, and the potential for Claypool, Pickens, and Austin is through the roof. Meanwhile, would you feel nervous if Gunner O. and Myles Boykin had to see some offensive snaps? I wouldn’t. The Tomlin/Colbert Steelers are borderline legendary for drafting wide receivers. This year’s crop is a good example why.
Biggest Loss —
A team can feel the absence of a missing head in a lot of ways — sometimes it’s because their physical presence is missing; sometimes it’s their leadership; sometimes it’s their intelligence.
Poll
Biggest Loss
This poll is closed
-
28%
Ben Roethlisberger
(51 votes) -
43%
Joe Haden
(80 votes) -
7%
JuJu Smith-Schuster
(13 votes) -
6%
Keith Butler
(11 votes) -
14%
Other
(27 votes)
My Choice: Joe Haden. I considered including Stephon Tuitt in this list, but he didn’t play last season either, so that loss happened in 2021. For this year, I think the team will miss Joe the most. Importantly, the Steelers top three corners (Wallace, Sutton, Witherspoon) are all solid players, and I wouldn’t necessarily put Haden ahead of them at this point in his career. But Joe was a consummate professional, a locker room leader, and a reliable veteran who knew the game. (Witness: his short-of-the-sticks game-sealing tackle against Tennessee late last season.) His presence will be missed, and there are sure to be one or two plays this year that I’ll think, “Haden would have made that stop…” or “Haden would have broken that up...” Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Addition by Subtraction —
The opposite of “Biggest Loss,” this one is about getting rid of dead weight. It doesn’t have to be mean-spirited, though it probably sounds that way. The big question is: who’s departure will help the Steelers improve the most?
Poll
Addition by Subtraction
This poll is closed
-
21%
JuJu Smith-Schuster
(39 votes) -
13%
Keith Butler
(25 votes) -
28%
Adrian Klemm
(53 votes) -
22%
Joe Schobert
(41 votes) -
14%
Other
(26 votes)
My Choice: JuJu Smith-Schuster. I like JuJu. I always liked JuJu. He played physical and worked hard, and was both a high-end possession receiver and better big play man than most remember. Plus he left Pittsburgh with a certain amount of class — taking no shots at the Steelers on the way out the door (at least none that I saw). But JuJu was (and is) immature and easily distracted. His interest in self-branding wasn’t just a bad tone for a veteran player (I think he was no good for Chase Claypool), but he also fired up Steelers opponents frequently — dancing on their logos for TikTok or giving them unnecessary bulletin board material (remember “Browns is Browns”?) Losing him also compelled the Steelers to look at WRs in the 2022 draft, which yielded George Pickens and Calvin Austin. JuJu was a good guy and I wish him well. But the Steelers offense is better today than it would be if he was still in town.
Unsung Hero —
This is also probably self-explanatory, but let’s say the Unsung Hero is a secret weapon of sorts — a player who doesn’t get his due in the talking head world, or even sometimes down here among the fans, but who does the damned job and does it well.
Poll
Unsung Hero
This poll is closed
-
17%
Cam Sutton
(32 votes) -
34%
Terrell Edmunds
(63 votes) -
13%
Mason Cole
(25 votes) -
16%
Tyson Alualu
(30 votes) -
1%
Montravius Adams
(2 votes) -
13%
Alex Highsmith
(25 votes) -
2%
Other
(5 votes)
My Choice: Terrell Edmunds. Edmunds was my choice last year, and he’s still my guy now. The former first round draft pick is one of those guys who’s been maligned often, but is actually very solid as a player. He’s never been a takeaway machine, and that’s why (I think) he has a bad rep. But every time I’ve done stat breakdowns on the Steelers defense, I’m shocked at how good Edmunds is. He very quietly had an outstanding 2020 season and somehow got better in 2021. (Did you know he had eight tackles for loss last season? That was 2nd in the league among all defensive backs.) Edmunds probably won’t go to the Pro Bowl this year but I’m predicting that he might just deserve it.
Biggest Wish for the Regular Season —
I’m not including “Steelers win the Super Bowl” because that’s too easy. I’m also not including any of the steps along the way (like “Steelers win out” or “Steelers get the 1-seed”). Those things are too obvious — we all want them. Instead, these options are a little more modest, and therefore both likelier and more debatable.
Poll
Biggest Wish for Regular Season
This poll is closed
-
2%
Strong start to the season
(5 votes) -
5%
Strong finish to the season
(9 votes) -
22%
6-0 Division record
(40 votes) -
0%
Beat Deshaun Watson
(1 vote) -
2%
Beat both the Patriots (wk 2) and Brady’s Buccs (wk 6)
(5 votes) -
6%
Keep terrorizing Lamarr Jackson
(12 votes) -
17%
No season-ending injuries for the stars
(32 votes) -
2%
At least three rookie starters by season’s end
(4 votes) -
20%
30 points per game on offense
(37 votes) -
17%
#1 defense in NFL
(32 votes) -
1%
Other
(3 votes)
My Choice: 6-0 division record. I always wish for this because the AFC North is almost always the best division in the league (or at least has an argument for it). You could argue that the Steelers’ 4-2 division record last year was the biggest driver for their unexpected playoff berth in 2022. Importantly, though, while they swept both Baltimore and Cleveland, they got blasted twice by upstart Cincinnati. Just split those games, and the Steelers host a playoff game while the Super Bowl Bengals miss the playoffs. That’s how meaningful each game in this division is.
To go undefeated in the AFCN is extraordinarily hard, but it would be the kind of gauntlet that would battle-test this team. The Steelers have only swept this division three times since the 2002 realignment — 2002, 2008, and 2017. Their combined record in those years, counting playoffs? 39-14-1 (.731), with a Lombardi. I’d settle for a season like that again.
Alright, check back in for the results. Otherwise, let’s get this season started. Go Steelers.
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