Mark Madden: The Steelers aren't as good as you think ... unless they are

In the new-age media tradition of compiling endless lists and providing content that would be more apropos in, say, 10-12 weeks, I present:

Top 5 reasons the Steelers aren’t as good as you think

1. Defense doesn’t win. Not even elite defense, and it’s a big leap to assume the Steelers have that. Edge rusher T.J. Watt will get hurt. The inside ‘backers are suspect. In today’s NFL, you need to score more and faster. It’s not 1975.

2. Quarterback Kenny Pickett won’t elevate his play as hoped. That’s partly because he’s not that great, partly because he’s going to be utilized as a game manager.

3. The idea of ball control that depends on the ground game will fail when running back Najee Harris continues to disappoint. Harris has just four 100-yard games over his two pro seasons. He’s not far from being a first-round bust. The offensive line might not be that improved, either.

4. The Steelers have depth of weaponry, but they don’t have anyone to make big plays. Wide receiver George Pickens could, but the game plan will stifle that. Pickens will notice, then make sure we do too.

5. GM Omar Khan didn’t do any better or different than Kevin Colbert. Khan was just more concise when it came to addressing specific needs. He ticked boxes. Otherwise, Khan stuck to the Steelers’ blueprint: No big names in free agency. Improve from within. The roster isn’t that much better.

Let’s note that reasons 2, 3 and 4 lay the groundwork to blame offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

That brings us to:

Top 5 reasons the Steelers will be better than I think

1. Joey Porter Jr. will be a legit No. 1 cornerback sooner, not later.

2. The defense is elite and Watt doesn’t get hurt. (The former can’t happen without the latter.)

3. Pickett sheds his role as game manager when the Steelers trail late and he rallies them to a series of fourth-quarter comeback wins. Pickett did that twice at the end of last season. Ben Roethlisberger did that on six occasions in 2022. That’s how the Steelers operate: Play it safe. Keep it close.

4. The Steelers’ schedule really is as easy as it looks. It’s rated eighth-weakest in the NFL. (But the AFC North games will be a problem.)

5. The Steelers turn out to be that rare team that goes against the NFL’s grain and prospers because they’re so good at it. Keep in mind that Tennessee has tried that and it hasn’t worked. The Titans’ running back is Derrick Henry, not Harris.

This column also bows at the altar of a long-practiced media tradition, namely throwing excrement at the wall and seeing what sticks.

It can also be reformatted slightly and published again in, say, 10-12 weeks.

It doesn’t have to be good. It’s about the Steelers, which guarantees many clicks.

At any rate, the Steelers’ ceiling is a lopsided loss in the playoffs’ wild card round. That’s non-negotiable.