In search of a new offensive coordinator, Mike Tomlin is stepping outside of both the organization and his comfort zone.
The Steelers haven’t looked outside 3400 South Water Street for the man in charge of managing the offense since hiring Todd Haley in 2012.
The goal for the new coordinator will be to boost an offense that finished 2023 rated No. 27 in points and No. 25 in yards. There was not a single postseason club whose offense ranked worse than the Steelers’ in those categories.
However, the Steelers still have most of their starting lineup under contract; quarterback Mason Rudolph being the notable exception.
In light of this, the following are three items from the 2023 season that the new coordinator will discover worked and didn’t work:
What was effective
1. The game that runs
The running back duo of Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris had a stronger season than the first, making history as the fourth pair of teammates to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage in a single season.
Harris finished with 1,205 yards overall and 1,035 yards running. With 784 running yards and 1,154 from scrimmage, Warren trailed closely behind, helped by his 61 receptions for 370 yards.
For the third consecutive year, Harris easily surpassed the 1,000-yard threshold. And although if the 17-game schedule has dilute this stat, Harris was only one of 12 runners to finish the season with 1,000 yards.
The way the Steelers integrated Warren into the offense limited his snap total to a career-low 569 and 53% of the plays, yet he managed to accomplish this despite it. Warren participated in 49% of the plays, or 519 snaps. This dynamic pair joined David Montgomery (1,132 scrimmage yards) and Jahmyr Gibbs (1,261 scrimmage yards) of the Detroit Lions as one of the best in the league.
If the Steelers exercise Harris’ fifth-year option, which is a different matter entirely, they may maintain the combination for a further two years.
2. The pivotal moment
Do you recall the 2022 season, when the Steelers only had two touchdown throws from beyond the red zone and their only longer-than-30-yard scoring play came in the season finale?
In 2023, the Steelers managed to become more explosive despite all of their difficulties both before and after Matt Canada took over as playcaller. Eight of their touchdown passes traveled at least 20 yards, with five of them covering at least 60 yards.
That held true regardless of who threw the ball—Rudolph or Kenny Pickett. The Steelers increased their risk-taking in the downfield, which led to the kind of significant gains that were absent from the previous campaign.
3. New O-line faces
The Steelers gained an advantage by inserting Broderick Jones, a first-round choice, into the lineup and adding Isaac Seumalo at left guard, even though the offensive line as a whole took too long to settle in again.
With his senior leadership and no-nonsense manner, Seumalo became the line’s leader and a steadying presence along the interior. For just the third of his eight NFL seasons, Seumalo played every game, which allowed him to manage the bruises and bumps he sustained up front. The Steelers offered him a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency, and he proved to be worth it.
Despite playing right tackle out of position when he entered the lineup in the middle of the season, Jones blended in well.
What didn’t
1. Wealth distribution
The capacity to “utilize all the talent that we have at our disposal” is one of the attributes Tomlin stated he is looking for in his new offensive coordinator.
In 2023, it wasn’t the case all too often. Despite Harris and Warren’s productivity, it’s possible that the Steelers relied too much on their running backs. Whether it was Canada or the leadership team of Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan, the Steelers far too often failed to include every necessary player.
Think about the fact that George Pickens failed to gain 100 yards in eight straight games. or that in his 13 games, Diontae Johnson did not have a single 100-yard performance. There was never a legitimate No. 3 receiving option. Calvin Austin finished with 17 catches for 180 yards after his 72-yard touchdown catch in Las Vegas, while Allen Robinson had only 280 receiving yards.
In 2023, the Steelers will need to locate and employ more reliable pass-catching alternatives.
2. Touches at the tight ends
Pat Freiermuth played in just 12 games due to injuries, but he finished with 32 catches for 308 yards. After September, he also had no touchdown catches.
Except for his nine receptions for 120 yards during the Faulkner/Sullivan debut in Cincinnati, Freiermuth was not a part of the offensive strategy. Furthermore, it didn’t seem like he was being pressured to meet goals in his role. Darnell Washington, a rookie, got ten targets while Connor Heyward had 34, or two targets per game.
It is expected that Freiermuth will begin the last season of his rookie deal. Freiermuth won’t be deserving of an extension until the new coach chooses to use him more extensively in the offensive.
3. Holdovers from O-line
Whether Pickett or Rudolph is the quarterback, one thing that could help with greater playmaking is having a well-placed snap to start each play. Mason Cole was ineffective as a center in his second season because of that.
Cole is eligible for a $1.5 million roster bonus; the Steelers may decide to let him go or use their draft pick to get competition. Longtime right tackle Chuks Okorafor will almost definitely be cut by the Steelers; his dismissal would save $8.75 million.
Although Jones was selected to guard the quarterback’s blind side, the Steelers have been hesitant to replace left tackle Dan Moore Jr. Moore had another season where he was among the worst at his position based on his subjective Pro Football Focus ranking. Despite appearing to make less errors than in previous seasons, he actually received the lowest grade of his three-year career.
