Outside of the second half of the Ravens-Texans game, this was a great weekend of playoff football. The other three games were close the entire way, with all three outcomes decided within the last two minutes (see: Jordan Love’s interception with 52 seconds left to grant the 49ers another NFC Championship Game appearance, Baker Mayfield’s interception with 1:39 remaining to propel the Lions to their first conference championship game in the Super Bowl era, Tyler Bass’s missed 44-yard field goal with 1:47 to go against a Chiefs team that, as a result, qualified for their 6th-straight AFC Championship Game). That is what playoff football is supposed to be—one-possession games during which the outcome is not clear until the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

I cannot say that I ever enjoyed watching the Steelers in the playoffs, as the stress of being in a do-or-die scenario wherein the significance of every snap being magnified tenfold is more conducive to feeling ill than to having fun. Regardless, there is no better feeling as a fan than watching your favorite team triumph in a high-pressure environment against a worthy opponent. This is a feeling that Steelers fans have not experienced for eight years—the last playoff triumph occurred in 2016 when they beat the Alex Smith-led Chiefs 18-16 on the back of Chris Boswell’s six field goals and a 2-point conversion attempt by the Chiefs being nullified late in the game for a holding penalty.

Today, I will outline the tasks that the Steelers’ organization must perform with expert precision to return to their historically-prevalent winning ways in the postseason.

Hire a (competent) play caller

Mike Tomlin did me a favor in the past week by answering some lingering questions, including whether he would return as head coach of the Steelers (he will) and what the hiring process for an offensive coordinator would constitute. Thankfully, he stated that they would hire someone from outside the organization to be the next offensive coordinator. This was a relief, as the Steelers are known for promoting within house (see Randy Fichtner, Matt Canada, Keith Butler, Teryl Austin). I did not feel as though Eddie Faulkner and Mike Sullivan performed well enough in their interim roles post-Matt Canada.

The front office cannot just hire anyone. They need to ensure that the person that they appoint to the position can call plays to best utilize the offense’s weapons (for example, dialing up deep shots to George Pickens and having Pat Freiermuth run routes across the middle of the field). Pittsburgh sports radio personality Andrew Filipino released a list of play callers that The Athletic pegged as potential candidates for the job, a list that included Washington OC Eric Bienemy, Tampa Bay OC (and former Steelers’ QB) Byron Leftwich, and Miami passing game coordinator/QB coach Darrell Bevell. I do not pretend to be an expert on who would be the optimal fit for the job. I do know, however, that this is something that the organization cannot afford to get wrong.

Draft well (again)

This is definitely a task regarding which I have much more optimism. In Omar Khan’s inaugural draft class as the general manager, he set a high bar for his selections. The team’s first three picks were high-impact players, with offensive tackle Broderick Jones reshaping the team’s running game, Joey Porter Jr. becoming a lockdown cornerback, and Keeanu Benton being an effective run stopper and pressure generator on the defensive line. Additionally, later draft picks such as tight end Darnell Washington and outside linebacker Nick Herbig also played significant roles throughout the season.

A draft as successful as this must be repeated to keep pace with teams like the Chiefs, Ravens, and Bills in the AFC. The Steelers have a plethora of needs. They must get a center who can actually snap the ball correctly (see Mason Cole for an example of how to not do this), another cornerback opposite Porter Jr. to improve the pass defense, a safety to help patrol centerfield alongside Minkah Fitzpatrick, and an inside linebacker to supplement the geriatrics that were signed last offseason. If Khan and his front-office friends can hit on most (if not all) of these positions, the Steelers will find themselves in an enviable position of having their biggest needs addressed (except for quarterback, which I will discuss shortly). Some of these areas of deficiency could also be addressed in free agency, but I would prefer to use that money for defensive line depth and another wide receiver, as those positions are more easily replaceable.

Make a decision on Kenny Pickett

This is probably the most important task that the Steelers’ coaches and front office must undertake. A first-round pick two years ago, Kenny Pickett has not exactly set the world on fire as the successor to Ben Roethlisberger. Now, a substantial amount of blame should fall on the shoulders of Matt Canada, as he was utterly incapable of calling plays to suit his strengths (or the strengths of any quarterback, for that matter). However, that does not change the fact that there are some serious questions that must be answered by Pickett himself. We have yet to see him excel as a downfield passer. His pocket presence is subpar at best, as he consistently spins into pressure instead of escaping the pocket. He has also struggled with throwing the ball accurately.

Now, personally, I am not ready to give up on Pickett. Part of that may be bias, as I am a diehard Pitt fan and loved Kenny when he put on the blue and gold. However, he did show signs of capability in the 5 quarters he played between Matt Canada’s firing and his high ankle sprain. I would love to see if he can be more successful in an offense where the play caller has more experience than simply playing Madden. 

Unfortunately, there appears to be a bit of a schism growing in the locker room. Offensive guard Isaac Seumalo—who had a fantastic year, by the way—discussed the need to address the quarterback uncertainty, something that you do not necessarily want to hear from someone tasked with blocking for the quarterback. Wide receiver George Pickens commented “GOAT” emojis on Mason Rudolph’s instagram. This is not the ideal scenario for Pickett, as it does not seem as though the locker room is behind him.

I do like Tomlin’s idea of bringing in competition for the quarterback position. After all, competition should drive Kenny Pickett to be better as a method of reclaiming the job that he lost to Mason Rudolph post-injury. It is necessary, however, for the team to present a united front behind whomever the quarterback ends up being. If that quarterback is not Kenny Pickett, the team needs to stop deluding both themselves and their fans and bring someone in who can win now, as the prime years of players like T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick are being wasted.

Overall, I am cautiously optimistic for this offseason. The main reason for this is that Omar Khan has shown that he has the ability to draft well. Drafting, unfortunately, is only half the battle. They need to make the perfect hire at offensive coordinator to best utilize the talent on that side of the ball. More importantly, they need to address the most important position for any football team—quarterback. If they can do that, I see no reason why the Steelers cannot break their eight-year playoff victory drought.

Have a great week.