The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 2024 postseason as the team no one is afraid to face. Ranked as the least likely team to win the Super Bowl, the Steelers deserve to have such titles given to them after dropping their last four games of the regular season.

For the first three games of their losing streak, the Steelers weren’t getting it done on either side of the ball. But after a mini-bye, the defense held the Cincinnati Bengals, who were averaging over 32 points a game over the previous eight games, to only 19 points. Unfortunately, the offense still struggled and the Steelers dropped their fourth-straight game. It’s been 25 years since the team has gone into the playoffs losing their final four games.

While there is a little bit more hope to be had with the Steelers defense, it only goes so far if the Steelers offense can’t produce enough points to win a typical NFL game.

So what is the problem with the Steelers offense?

Although this unit did have three games this season where they scored over 30 points, and one game which they went over 40, the offense hasn’t hit 20 points in over a month. While many want to place blame in a variety of areas, there is one major factor that determines the problem more than anything: The Steelers offense just doesn’t over-the-top talent.

Some Steelers fans think that all the players on the roster are amazing and they simply aren’t given the right opportunity due to the coaching staff, but it’s not that extreme. Actually, it’s more a combination of things. But before we get into the ‘why’ of the Steelers not having enough talent on offense, let’s actually back up this claim.

The Steelers are preparing to face the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Admittedly, the Ravens are one of the top offenses in the NFL this season. So, in the words of the great Ric Flair, if the Steelers want to be the man, they’ve got to beat the man. When comparing these two offenses, one does not stack up to the other.

I know many would like to talk about the difference in schemes, but really it comes down to the players. A good way to look at it would be in this way: If these two offenses had to combine to make one team, how many starters would there be from the Steelers?

For me, it’s hard to even find one on offense. The easiest would probably be George Pickens as one of as many as three wide receivers, but the fact Pickens was on a similar level last year to Diontae Johnson, who was let go by the Ravens after not being happy as thier fourth or fifth option, I don’t know if Pickens’ attitude would fit in with the rest of the team. But going strictly based on talent, I’ll put him as one player from the Steelers.

After this, it’s hard to find anyone else. You’re not going quarterback. Not running back. As much as I like Pat Fairmouth, he’d probably be number three behind the top two options in Baltimore. After that it comes down to the offensive line. Zach Frazier has a chance to get there, but right now Linderbaum is a Pro Bowl player so he would have the advantage. The best bet would maybe be Isaac Seumalo at guard, but that would be more of a choice of a bunch of average players rather than anyone that’s all that great.

When looking at it this way, the Steelers offense just doesn’t even compare to the Ravens on a player-by-player basis.

Does this mean there’s no hope for the Steelers? Not at all. Teams might not be there individually, but it’s more about playing collectively. In fact, it’s probably the Steelers offense overachieving collectively earlier in this season that even has people disappointed.

So now that I have made the case that the Steelers just aren’t talented enough on offense, maybe it’s time to dive into the answer as to why they aren’t.

First of all, the Steelers have a lot of draft picks on rookie deals making up their offense. It’s both running backs, two of the top wide receivers, three of the four tight ends, and four of the five offensive line. I know Pat Friemuth signed an extension last offseason, but 2024 would have been the last year of his rookie deal. So you could look at him either way. But outside of all those players on rookie contracts, all the rest of the players are ones that weren’t drafted by the Steelers. Additionally, Isaac Seumalo is the only one who’s not on a minimum contract. It’s who the Steelers are.

When looking at so many players being drafted players on rookie deals, it’s also important to remember that if half of a team‘s draft picks work out to be significant contributors, that’s a pretty solid draft. Chances are, the Steelers are currently relying on some players on offense that ultimately aren’t going to be a success in the NFL. Let that sink in for a little bit.

Even though the Steelers have a lot of question marks on offense, it could also be that the players aren’t being developed to the best of their ability. I’m not going to tell somebody who makes the argument one way or the other that they are correct, but failing to acknowledge that could very well be the issue would be foolish. For this reason, this is not all about the players and nothing about the coaching. The Steelers offense has fallen short at the end of this year for both these reasons.

Does the Steelers offense having a lack of talent a reason why the Steelers can’t win the game in Baltimore? It is not. It just means their margin for error is small. This is not just about winning the turnover battle, but about execution.

The Steelers can’t afford to have wasted plays on offense. Whether it’s missing one block which would make a place successful or a play call that’s destined to fail before the snap, the Steelers can’t have constant setbacks like these and be able to put up points. A dropped pass, a 5-yard penalty, or a miscommunication on a route are things that will affect the Steelers offense so much more than others in the NFL oozing with talent.

The bottom line is this: What the Steelers lack in talent they have to make up for an execution.

The Steelers offense hasn’t been running on all cylinders. For many fans, there’s little hope it will do so in the playoffs. But acknowledging that the Steelers offense just doesn’t have the “Jimmy’s and Joe’s“ that other teams in the postseason do may help give a more realistic evaluation when the team is struggling. The Steelers aren’t suddenly going to have a more talented roster, but they could maximize what they have to a larger degree.