Welcome to Brian Batko’s Steelers mailbag. You’re more than welcome to email him at bbatko@post-gazette.com, tweet him @BrianBatko, or slide into his DMs to inquire about the Steelers, NFL, or anything out of bounds.
Angelo D: With optimism abound in Steelers camp I’m wondering what you think the Steelers’ worst case scenario (W-L) is for the upcoming season? Notwithstanding the impact of injuries/team health and assuming a plausible scenario where Pickett, while better, struggles with inconsistency and bogs down the pass game. The OL while improved, doesn’t have the earth movers to consistently run. Heyward starts showing his age, the revolving door at ILB nets more of the same journeyman type play, and the secondary becomes more patchwork because Porter/Petersen can’t defend the perimeter.
Brian: To be honest, I don’t love doing best-case/worst-case scenarios for a team because I’m a bit of a literalist. The best-case scenario is they go 17-0 and win the Super Bowl. The worst-case scenario is they go 0-17.
But of course I understand the exercise here and the idea behind it. So, I’ll play along. Just don't get mad at me if my answers lean toward both ends of the spectrum being more unrealistic than you may see elsewhere (it would be pretty boring to give them a window between 7 and 12 wins) ...
Best case — Steelers go 14-3, nab the No. 1 seed in the AFC, then use homefield advantage at Acrisure Stadium to make the Super Bowl. There, they continue to rely on their formula of an elite run game, the NFL’s best defense and Kenny Pickett’s second-year jump to win their seventh Lombardi Trophy. Joe Burrow wasn't the same after his preseason calf injury, the Chiefs defense was a sieve as Chris Jones sat out the whole season, and the Bills couldn't keep mercurial star wideout Stefon Diggs happy.
Worst case — Everything Angelo mentioned plays out, with Pickett failing to make the leap and being just OK at the helm of the offense. The tackles struggle against top-tier pass rushers and lack of a potent passing game allows teams to stack the box to stop the run. And yeah, the secondary doesn’t hold up as one cornerback is too old, one is too raw and one is too slow. A 3-14 season with wins against the Texans, Cardinals and Seahawks has the city eagerly anticipating when pitchers and catchers report.
Tom in Dallas: Hope you survived Latrobe! Question: How different is it between being a punt returner vs a kick-off returner? I would think there are a majority of similarities: if you decide to catch the ball, you better catch it; if you catch it in the endzone, you decide whether to run it out, and I’m thinking the coaches may have already made that decision for them in advance; and if you catch it, run!
Brian: I did survive Latrobe, but did my car? It ran out of gas the other day. Sure, I drove it around for a while on low fuel, but that’s not uncommon. And I had never not made it to the gas station in time. Fortunately, I was in my driveway. But that was weird.
Anyway, the two return responsibilities are similar, obviously. But kick returners have blockers set up in front of them and almost always set up in the same spot. Punt returners could have their heels in the end zone or in front of the 50, and can thus be much more susceptible to angled or directional punting that puts them in a bind.
Speaking of which, the fair catch is much tougher to gauge on a punt than a kickoff. There’s more of a decision-making component to fielding a punt. On top of that, I would say kick returns are more about pure speed to gain as much ground as possible behind your blockers, while punt returners need to have a bit more shiftiness and vision.
Nate from Fort Wayne: Why was Alex Highsmith not rewarded a sack on Josh Allen on that play where he missed first and then got him later? It wasn't a designed run, was it because Josh Allen crossed the line of scrimmage and then retreated and then got tackled by Highsmith for a 6-yard loss?
Brian: Yes, that is the reason. I did stop Highsmith in the locker room briefly to ask about that, and he confirmed it was because Allen scrambled to the point of crossing the line of scrimmage, which officially made it a rushing play.
But Highsmith smiled and said it’s a sack in his book. I can’t disagree with him there.
More concerning should be Allen’s willingness to run around that much, especially in a meaningless preseason game. Bills fans had to be wiping their brow when Highsmith laid him down rather gently.
Turk in MD: Hi Brian! The Bills were not sharp, but Holcomb's pass break up on Diggs was excellent. Could our ILB play finally improve? What did you see in camp?
Brian: Actually, that was Highsmith again on that play, not Cole Holcomb. That’s an impressive breakup for an edge rusher to make in coverage.
It does have me pondering the possibility of a three-outside linebacker package including some combination of Highsmith, T.J. Watt, Markus Golden and Nick Herbig. That’s particularly intriguing with how well Herbig has played in training camp and preseason, trying to force his way onto the field. You can disguise a lot with really effective pass rushers who also are capable of dropping instead of blitzing.
The Steelers already have a number of chess pieces on defense and various sub-packages to deploy, so there might not even be enough time and practice reps to tinker with something like this. But hey, it’s a long season.
Dave F: Hey Brian, do you think B.Jones will start week 1? I think we throw Dan Moore as a sacrificial lamb vs Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby. After that B.Jones has better technique and will be ready.
Brian: Dan Moore Jr. might be more than a sacrificial lamb, as I wrote about Tuesday. He’s risen to the challenge of keeping Broderick Jones at bay.
Really, if you’re the Steelers, it doesn't necessarily matter how you get above-the-line left-tackle play in 2023, as long as you get it. Now, would it feel a bit like a missed opportunity in the draft if Jones doesn't play right away? Perhaps, but he’ll have ample time to round into someone who helps your offensive line.
Moore starting the season puts the Steelers in a position where they’re playing with house money. If he does his job, that’s great for your offense. Keep developing Jones behind the scenes. If Moore eventually struggles, you can turn to someone who you believed in as the 14th overall pick of the draft.
Think you have better questions? Email bbatko@post-gazette.com or write him on Twitter @BrianBatko
First Published: August 24, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
Updated: August 24, 2023, 9:43 p.m.