Getty One of the 2022 rookies for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers delivered a message to the team's division rivals.
Connor Heyward took a backseat in a couple different ways as a rookie for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His brother, Cameron Heyward, is still playing at a Pro Bowl level as one of the leaders of the team. And while Connor played well, especially late in the season, Kenny Pickett and George Pickens stole the rookie limelight in Pittsburgh.
That might not last much longer, though, as Connor Heyward made some noise, placing some high expectations on the team heading into 2023.
“I think we do have a really good team, a really good defense and an offense that is trending in the right direction,” Heyward said while appearing as a guest on The Steel Here podcast. “An offense that is just getting more comfortable at finding their identity.
“I think we do have a really good shot in our division [next year.]”
That will likely cause a stir in a couple different AFC North cities, particularly one in Ohio. The Cincinnati Bengals have won each of the last two AFC North titles and have made back-to-back trips to the AFC Championship.
Steelers “Close” to Becoming Super Bowl Contenders?
Las Vegas doesn’t consider Pittsburgh to be much of a Super Bowl contender next season. Action Network HQ has the Steelers with only the 21st-best odds of winning the Super Bowl next year.
Seven teams that had worse records than the Steelers in 2022 have better odds of winning the Super Bowl next year according to Action Network HQ. Of those seven teams, three of them — the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders — had six wins or fewer.
2024 Super Bowl odds (@ActionNetworkHQ)
It’s safe to say Heyward would disagree with those Super Bowl odds.
“I’m sure they’ll do a good job in the draft and do whatever they have to do in the offseason, but I don’t think there are as many voids [on the Steelers roster] as people may think,” Heyward said. “I think we’re a well-rounded team, and we have a really good coaching staff as well.”
The Steelers enter the offseason with the biggest question marks in the passing game. They finished 24th in passing yards and last in passing touchdowns last season. Meanwhile, the Steelers defense was 19th in passing yards allowed and gave up the second-most passing touchdowns.
In order for Heyward’s comments to come to fruition, Pickett and the Steelers passing offense will have to make major strides in 2023. The team will likely also have to shore up cornerback and inside linebacker this offseason.
Advantages Steelers Will Have With 2023 NFL Schedule
The Steelers may not look quite as strong on paper as the Bengals or Baltimore Ravens, but regardless of how the offseason goes, Pittsburgh will have some scheduling advantages over their division rivals.
Because the Steelers finished in third place, they will play the Raiders, New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers in 2023. All three of those teams enter the offseason with questions at quarterback.
Meantime, the Bengals will face the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings. The Ravens will square off against the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions.
All the other opponents on the schedule for the Steelers, Bengals and Ravens are the same other than those three games.
Still, the Steelers may have other scheduling advantages. They will draw the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars at home. The only non-division opponent with a 2022 winning record the Steelers will play on the road next fall is the Seattle Seahawks.
With a strong offseason, Pittsburgh could close the gap enough in the AFC North that the scheduling advantage could make a difference in the 2023 standings.