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Five Steelers Bold Predictions: Multiple Award Winners in Pittsburgh This Season

A DPOY re-run, new quarterback and multiple end of season awards for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cody Flavell

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We’re just days away from another Pittsburgh Steelers season kicking off. There won’t be another football-less Sunday until January. We’ve made it.

With that comes another season of “Flavell’s Five” following every game throughout the year. Like anyone, I’ve got some Steelers predictions for the upcoming season. Some consist of hot takes, others are probably ones you’ll tend to agree with. Without further ado, let’s get started.

George Pickens Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

As it currently stands, FanDuel Sportsbook considers Kenny Pickett and George Pickens the most likely recipients of the award at 9/1.

Pickett won’t be the Steelers’ starter to open the season and there aren’t many rookie quarterbacks that will play enough to have a chance to win that award. So why not Pickens?

Pickens has put on an absolute show in training camp and the preseason and looks to be the real deal. If he hadn’t gotten injured last season during his final year at Georgia, Pickens might’ve been the first receiver off the board. The injury lowered his stock and the Steelers were the beneficiary of his fallen stock. Much like they have in past seasons, they snatched a quality wide receiver without spending a first-round pick on them.

Pickens has the potential to be the beneficiary of Diontae Johnson receiving more attention from secondaries across the league. This would elevate his stats and give him the chance to see more targets and make the most of his rookie season.

Pickens certainly has the talent to be a number one receiver in the NFL in the future. He could take a large step towards doing so in an offense that likely will have to throw a lot due to its offensive line inefficiencies.

Mitch Trubisky Will Start At Least Half of the Teams’ Games

When the Steelers scooped up Trubisky just minutes into the free agency period, it was clear that he would start over Mason Rudolph unless he looked like a deer in headlights during training camp. Then, Pickett fell to the Steelers in the first round and Kevin Colbert wanted to set the Steelers up with their quarterback of the future.

The keyword there is “future”.

Pickett and Trubisky both had a clean and productive preseason and showed that either could potentially jump into the starter’s role but it was always Trubisky’s job to lose and that he did not do.

The Steelers open with three games in the first 11 days. That’s a tall task to ask of a rookie just entering the league to go out and be the best he can be. Trubisky will start, at the very least, those three games. After that, it’s anyone’s guess. But I believe Trubisky to be a solid NFL quarterback that can more than handle an offense that has plenty of weapons on it.

In fact, I see a world where Trubisky, barring injury, plays all 17 games, allows Pickett to develop, and then gets traded in the offseason for something to help the Steelers in 2023 while handing the keys over to Pickett.

In all honesty, this is the best-case scenario for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers Defense Finishes Top-Five Against the Run

No team gave up more yards (2,483) against the run in 2021 than the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were the only team in the league to allow five-plus yards per carry. A franchise that’s notorious for being stout in the front-seven was the only team to allow that many yards per carry? Don’t bet on it happening again.

The Steelers were gashed up front by injuries and saw guys like Henry Mondeaux and Carlos Davis playing way too much. Tyson Alualu missed nearly the entire season. Stephon Tuitt’s abrupt retirement hindered the Steelers’ front line on defense. Devin Bush’s regression added to the frustration.

Heck, if it wasn’t for Minkah Fitzpatrick making tons of tackles against the run last season, the Steelers might’ve given up another 300 yards rushing.

They’ll have Alualu back. Larry Ogunjobi joined the fold. So did Myles Jack. Cameron Heyward is one of the most prideful guys in the league. The way the front seven performed last season won’t sit well with him and he’ll likely play even better this season than he did last campaign.

I am confident that the Steelers will be in the top half of the league in rush defense this season. I’ll boldly predict that they’ll be in the top five. But it doesn’t feel like they can remotely be as bad this season unless a rash of injuries overtakes their front seven again.

It’s football so things happen. But if they stay healthy, watch out brother.

T.J. Watt Breaks Sack Record, Goes Back-to-Back DPOY

There are so many good defensive players in the NFL. For anyone not named Aaron Donald to win the award, however, usually means that any player that beats him out had to have a legendary season. Watt did exactly that in 2021.

Watt posted 22.5 sacks last season, tying Michael Strahan’s single-season record and was the first player to get to 20 since Donald in 2018. That type of production is unheard of. Not to mention Watt did it despite missing a handful of games.

Watt will turn 28 when the Steelers open the season on Sunday in Cincinnati. His selection was ridiculed by many draft pundits, saying he was only drafted in the first round because of his last name. Just five years into his career, he’s got a first, second, and third place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Continuing to defy the odds is something that Watt has done since he was drafted in 2017. So, as an encore, Watt is going to get at least 23 sacks this season, stay healthy in the process, and put together one of the best seasons by an edge rusher in league history on his way to a second straight defensive player of the year award.

Steelers Make Playoffs, Just Miss AFC North Title

Sounds a bit ambitious, doesn’t it? But it goes right along with the theme of my predictions.

If Pickens wins ROTY, Trubisky starts every game, the defense stops the run, and Watt wins DPOY, you almost have to figure the Steelers won 10+ games, right?

Based on 2021 win percentages, the Steelers have the 12th hardest schedule in the league this season. They’ve got a fair share of games that should be imminently winnable, however.

Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, that alone guarantees 9 wins…obviously.

I think the Ravens are poised to have one of their better seasons of the last decade. They were ravaged by injuries last season and that roster is one of my favorites in the NFL heading into 2022. The Bengals crumble a bit now that they have real expectations on them following a Super Bowl appearance last season. And the Browns is still the Browns.

I’ll say 10-7 and a wild card round birth in a game against the Chargers on the road.

Football is back, baby.

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Cody Flavell
CODY FLAVELL

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