The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ 2024 campaign ended with a 28-14 loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens on Wild Card Weekend, and it was disappointing for a variety of reasons. The Steelers have now lost six straight playoff games, which is tied for the longest active postseason losing streak. Pittsburgh has also now had eight straight non-losing seasons without a playoff win, which is the longest streak by any team in the Super Bowl era.
The Steelers limped into the playoffs as losers of four straight. The last time Pittsburgh won a game was on Dec. 8, and it’s in large part due to the performance of Russell Wilson’s offense. Wilson averaged just 174.5 passing yards in the final four games of the regular season, to go along with five total touchdowns and four turnovers. On Saturday night, Wilson did throw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, but both touchdowns came in the third quarter after Pittsburgh was already facing a 21-point deficit.
Steelers wideout George Pickens was the game’s leading receiver, as he caught five passes for 87 yards and a 36-yard touchdown. Following the game, he was asked if he has seen signs of growth from the offense during his time with the Steelers.
“Yeah, I’ve seen signs of growth for sure,” Pickens said. “From past — first year I’ve been here, just way more growth, for sure.”
However, when Pickens was asked if those signs of growth have him feeling optimistic going forward, he offered a surprising response:
“Uh, nah.”
While the insertion of Wilson into the starting lineup did help the Steelers immediately with four straight wins, the veteran quarterback was unable to maintain that level of success. Pittsburgh finished the regular season with the 10th-worst offense in the NFL (319.4 yards per game).
This offseason, the Steelers will have to answer plenty of important questions. Their top two quarterbacks in Wilson and Justin Fields are free agents, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a potential head coaching candidate and Pickens has just one more year remaining on his rookie deal. Will the Steelers attempt to extend him this offseason, or could they trade him away? Pickens made it clear on Saturday night that he’s not optimistic about what this offense can be.
