Changes were undoubtedly in the air following the Steelers’ unexpected elimination in the wild-card round, which ended what I considered to be an incredible roller coaster ride. This was especially true in light of Art Rooney II’s remarks regarding the team’s dearth of postseason victories.
Rooney’s statement, in its nutshell, was that it is becoming stale to not have both playoff appearances and wins. In actuality, we haven’t prevailed in a postseason match since the 2016 campaign. Since the 2010 campaign, we have not appeared in the Super Bowl. Since the 2008 season, we have not triumphed in the Super Bowl.
I believe you understand my point, but the wild card loss was likely “the straw that broke the camel’s back” for a team that has won six Super Bowls overall and four in a six-year span. Thus, adjustments were required, and they have been made on a number of occasions thus far.
The Steelers coaching staff changes suggest only one path for 2024
One could contend that the coaching changes began with Matt Canada’s firing, which was unexpected considering the timing. This would mean that there had never been an in-season coordinator change prior to the aforementioned incident, but it did occur, and it made room for the hiring of a new coordinator.
Arthur Smith, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, enters the picture. I believe it’s safe to say that the Steelers offense in 2024 will be similar to the offenses from the early 1990s, if history is any guide.
Despite being primarily run-oriented, the passing game played a big role in the offensive success of those 1990s schemes. The ability to score was something else that was almost a given for the offensive schemes of the 1990s. Although we never held the league scoring record, we were able to score points rather regularly.
It’s no secret that Canada’s offenses were hopeless at consistently scoring points, which is probably why Smith was hired. We probably made some pretty big changes to the offensive coaching staff for the same reason.
Three more coaches have been brought on board, the most notable of whom is Tom Arth, a former Los Angeles Chargers passing game specialist. I can think of just one thing when you consider the coaching staff as a whole. We have a win-now mentality.
For the 2024 season, there is no other option. More points must be earned, and more points must be earned consistently. Additionally, we need to change the offense so that it not only strengthens the defense but also intimidates our opponents.
In all honesty, none of us can predict how the offense will seem or perform in 2024. What is unacceptable is that for the past three seasons, the Steelers offense has essentially been an afterthought.
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