'In the hunt" for what? A mediocre season in the same draft position they have had for 15 years. That's what you call " in the hunt?"
This team needs impact players.
2023 will see a "massive improvement"? How do you figure? They have a young offense with a questionable O-line and a defense with problems. Their best defensive lineman is 34 years old. Their D-line is mostly bad and old. They need an impact middle linebacker and have secondary issues that goes with mediocre draft picks. They invested major bucks on a linebacker that when healthy is a force but has shown to have injury issues.
I love KP, but his game right now is safety passes and 10 yard TE hookups with an occasional downfield toss. Until he learns to trust his receivers will be open after they appear to be covered he will continue to play safe with the passing game. KP is at best the 4th best QB in the division that the Steelers compete in. Do you see him surpassing any of the others in the next 2 years? The Steelers averaged 20.2 points per game this year. Only 3 teams did worse. You don't win in the NFL kicking FGs. Let's hope he raises his game to compete with what the other division foes can counter. I think Kenny will eventually be a good QB in the league. But he has a ways to go.
Contention in two years? For what? A first round loss? This team hasn't contended for anything worth noting for over 10 years. Teams go in droughts. The Dallas Cowboys haven't been to the NFC Championship game since 1995. Your "bridge year" looked more like the Fern Hollow bridge for the most part. They beat bad teams to get 7 wins. You're enthusiastic progress is masked by playing crappy teams. They got lucky against the Bungles the first game of the season..
So much wrong in this post, let's address it point by point.
"In the hunt" for what? A mediocre season in the same draft position they have had for 15 years. That's what you call " in the hunt?"
Mathetmatically alive for a post-season spot with two games remaining. It's not what
*I* call "in the hunt".... it is a mathematical fact.
2023 will see a "massive improvement"? How do you figure?
I already explained this, but I will again. The Steelers are *WAY* under the salary cap for next year and have lots of room to maneuver to address their pressing needs. They also will have 3 of the first 45 or so picks in the draft. The will use those, plus the millions they have under the cap to spend, to shore up the OL, MLB, DL, and get a 3rd quality WR.
I love KP, but his game right now is safety passes and 10 yard TE hookups with an occasional downfield toss. Until he learns to trust his receivers will be open after they appear to be covered he will continue to play safe with the passing game.
You say he needs to learn to trust his receivers. But last week you said he should be shut down for the season.
How do you propose he "learns" anything?
As for his progress. If you haven't seen the stready and consistently upward progress in his game from when he first entered the Jets game to today, then I seriously question your ability to evaluate the game of football. All that steady progress has come *BECAUSE* he has been playing. "Fans" who wanted to shut him down despite him being 100% medically cleared to play are, frankly, clueless about the development of NFL QBs and how important these live games are.
KP is at best the 4th best QB in the division that the Steelers compete in.
He's already the 3rd best QB in the division. Do you seriously place Deshaun Watson ahead of him? Have you watched Deshaun Watson play the past 4 weeks since he came back?
The Steelers averaged 20.2 points per game this year. Only 3 teams did worse.
Yes. That's a function of a rookie QB learning the ropes. The investment in games played this year will begin to pay off in 2023.... as I've said before, NFL QBs make their greatest leap forward in their 2nd year as a starter. We've seen it over and over and over again. All the more reason all of these games this year MATTER for KP's development as an NFL QB and why it was an absolutely ridiculous notion to "shelve" him for the final 3 games of the year.
I think Kenny will eventually be a good QB in the league. But he has a ways to go.
All the more reason it was imperative to play him as much as possible this year, and it frankly should have started in training camp with him as the #1. His development would be miles further if they had done so. As it is, his development is coming along very nicely. He also has a lot less "ways to go" than you think. And the experts agree with me..... not Joe Bag o' Donuts from Altoona - but real NFL analysts.
Contention in two years? For what? A first round loss?
No. 2023 will be the "first round loss" year. Pittsburgh will be an 11-12 win team next year. 2024 will be the year to begin to contend.
Your "bridge year" looked more like the Fern Hollow bridge for the most part. They beat bad teams to get 7 wins. You're enthusiastic progress is masked by playing crappy teams. They got lucky against the Bungles the first game of the season..
Half the teams on any schedule will be, by definition, crappy teams. The NFL is a zero-sum league - the average record for the league will be .500... with roughly half the teams worse than that. There are no bad wins in the NFL, every team is a roster made up of players who were among the 4 or 5 best players on their college teams.
The Steelers will be playing a 3rd-place schedule next year. Currently, this is who they are slated to be playing (current record in parentheses):
SF (11-4)
CIN (11-4)
CIN (11-4)
BAL (10-5)
BAL (10-5)
SEA (7-8)
DET (7-8)
JAX (7-8)
TEN (7-8)
NE (7-8)
LV (6-9)
CLE (6-9)
CLE (6-9)
Rams (5-10)
IND (4-10-1)
ARI (4-11)
HOU (2-12-1)
Only SF and CIN on that list are teams that will be clearly head-and-shoulders better than Pittsburgh next year. It is a very light schedule. There are only 5 games on that schedule of teams that are currently over .500 this year.
The Steelers will be an 11-6 or 12-5 team next year.