Could the Steelers be the Detroit Lions of the AFC next season?

A comparison that two years ago would’ve made Steelers fans break into a cold sweat now may even be perceived as hopelessly optimistic. But as I watched the Lions compete in the NFC playoffs, making their furthest postseason run ever while the Steelers unfortunately were on their couches at home, I couldn’t stop coming back to how similar the teams are when it comes to one thing-

Roster Construction on Offense.

Before getting into the meat of the comparison, I’ll start by noting the Lions offensive scheme is one of the most dynamic in the league and a massive reason for their rapid rise to relevance. Ben Johnson, who surprisingly declined opportunities for a Head Coaching gig in this cycle, serves as a shining example of how to creatively deploy all of the chess pieces at his disposal and put players in the best situations possible for their skill sets. But the pieces he was utilizing look eerily familiar to those currently on the roster who play at Acrisure Stadium on Sundays. With the fresh hiring of Arthur Smith, hopefully, he can maximize the strengths of a similar group of skill players and help the Steelers advance in the Postseason.

Quarterbacks:

Lions: Jared Goff    Steelers: Kenny Pickett

Starting with the most important position in the game, the comparison here is actually one I think is a realistic look at what Pickett’s upside could be. In Goff’s first NFL season, he went 0-7 with 155 Passing YPG, 5 TDs and 7INTs. Yikes right? Kenny Pickett’s rookie season he went 7-5 with 184 Passing YPG, 7 TDs and 9 INTs. Similar rookie years under poor offensive coaching. The big difference comes in Year 2 when the Rams hired Sean McVay. Goff exploded for 3,804 passing yards 28 TDs and 7 INTs leading the Rams to an 11-5 season. Kenny Pickett on the other hand, still had Matt Canada (*sigh*) as his OC, who got fired mid-season. This led to a pedestrian season where he threw for 2,040 yards 6TDs and 4 INTs. This highlights just how important offensive scheme can be in a young QBs development. McVay played greatly to Goff’s strengths, emphasizing a strong Play action game off of Zone running schemes, something Arthur Smith is also well-known for. Kenny making a Jared- Goff-type jump next season would be the biggest factor for the Steelers’ success.

Running Backs:

Lions: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs  Steelers: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren

You could make the argument that these are two of the best backfields in the NFL and the way each team makes use of their skills is quite similar. The Lions use Montgomery as the physical bellcow that wears teams down over time, while Gibbs offers tremendous pass-catching versatility and explosiveness. Their combined production accounted for 1,960 yards on 401 carries with rushing TDs along with 68 receptions for 433 yds and one Touchdown.

Flip to the duo over in Pittsburgh and you have the same story. Najee Harris handles the majority of early down work and gets better as games, and the season, progresses while Warren flashes with big plays and explosion in the passing game. Their combined production accounted for 1783 yds rushing on 404 carries with 12 rushing TDs along with 540 receiving yards on 90 catches. Just goes to show that the Steeler running game is already comparable to the Lions and should continue to improve under Arthur Smith.

Receiving Corps:

Lions: Amon-ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam Laporta Steelers: Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth

The Lions receiving corps touts some great playmakers, including their focal point Amon-ra St. Brown who really burst onto the scene this year with 1,515 yds on 119 catches with 10 TDs. While Amon-ra works primarily out of the slot, the Lions do a great job of moving him around in formations and scheming him open against defender’s leverage to avoid double teams, something the Steelers should definitely take note of. Jameson Williams serves as their number 2 receiver and started to come on late in the year following his suspension. Mainly a big play threat, the Lions utilize him in the jet sweep game as well. He put up a respectable 354 Yds on 24 catches with 2 Touchdowns during the regular season. The rookie TE Sam Laporta was stellar, mainly over the middle in their play-action game, accounting for 86 catches, 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. His involvement in the offense was really the main differentiator that took the Lions to the next level on that side of the ball.

While the Steelers the production certainly was not the same largely due to scheme, coaching, and QB play the skill players have potential to match the Lions archetype. George Pickens is the Star of the group and should be the focal point in the passing game like St. Brown for the Lions. Despite the sometimes head scratching usage, Pickens still had a great year leading the NFL in YPC with 18.1, along with 1,140 receiving yards and 5 TDs. Teams really started to shade coverages towards him and send double teams throughout the season, and the Steelers were complacent to allow that and look in other directions. Scheming him free from those looks needs to be an emphasis next year. He’s complimented by Diontae Johnson who is an elite route-runner (When he knows which route to run) that can win 1 on 1 matchups consistently. He bounced back from his TD drought with 5TDs and 717 Yds on 51 catches. If DJ can become more consistent, this duo could push for one of the best in the NFL.

Lastly, the afterthought of the offense is Pat Freiermuth. His lack of involvement baffles me beyond belief because I believe he has the same dynamic pass catching ability as Laporta. Granted, his blocking is significantly lacking and often times takes him off the field for some obvious running-downs but he needs to be featured over the middle. 32 catches for 308 yds and 2 TDs is just not representative of his skills. I really think he’s the X-factor that can limit the doubles on GP and dominate over the middle like Laporta if Arthur Smith can find a way to feature the similar PA concepts. But 2023 production aside, this receiving corps has just as much talent as the Lions.

All this to say that the pieces are there. The Steelers don’t have to go out this offseason and overhaul their offensive roster to match one of the best offenses in the league. The similarities between the two groups are striking, and the Lions ascended rapidly under a great playcaller. Next season really only hinges on the development of Kenny Pickett and Arthur Smith’s ability to best utilize the skill players. If both of those things go well, it’s highly possible the Steelers postseason woes will come to an end.