Tim Benz: Steelers training camp challenge — the defense must make the offense better

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has a lot to accomplish between now and the end of training camp. Coordinator Teryl Austin’s unit has to:

• Straighten out any communication issues that may result from weaving a fistful of new players into the secondary — many of whom are playing in multiple positions.

• Get more out of an inside linebacker position group that has been completely revamped.

• With or without T.J. Watt, get back into the top five of sacks after dropping into a tie for 14th place with 40. Prior to last season, Mike Tomlin’s defense has been at 52 sacks or better every year since 2016.

• Be better against the pass. The Steelers were 25th in net yards gained per pass attempt at 6.5 in 2022.

But as defensive players reported for camp Wednesday, many agreed that another big-picture goal for them is on the table:

• Make their own offense better

Much better. After what we saw last year, that’s not going to be an easy task.

A major talking point surrounding the Steelers’ offseason has been about the belief (or, perhaps, hope) that the offense will be more intricate and explosive in Kenny Pickett’s second year.

It better be. Based on some of the piddly numbers it produced playing a watered-down style with a rookie quarterback at the helm for most of the year, it’s hard to picture another 17 games with an approach that conservative.

Now, with Kenny Pickett heading into Year 2 after showing some maturation and poise down the stretch of 2022, the presumption is that the offense is capable of spreading its wings.

“Being able to play with guys for a year, being in a system for a year, understanding how each guy plays, I think there is some momentum there,” Pickett said Wednesday. “We saw what we did well. We took a lot of those things from the bye week. We fixed them. We got them right. That’s a good point to build off.”

How much can that playbook expand? The offense’s level of success and failure against its own defense during practices at Saint Vincent College ought to give the coaching staff guidance.

“They are a top defense. We are striving to be a top offense,” Pickett said. “Going at them every single day, pushing them every single day like they do to us, I think it is only going to make us better as a team.”

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As a highly paid Pro Bowl veteran in the secondary, much of the organization, leadership and communication on a snap-to-snap basis will fall to Minkah Fitzpatrick. Despite that onus, the 26-year-old safety embraced the added responsibility of also making the other side of the ball better during drills this summer.

“Camp is built on the premise of ‘iron sharpens iron.’ The sharper our sword is, the sharper theirs is. That’s our approach,” Fitzpatrick said. “Then, when we go out there and compete on Sundays, our job is to get them the ball as many times as we can.”

Don’t consider this mentality by the defense football altruism. Linebacker T.J. Watt pointed out that the defense needs to help make the offense better because his unit will be aided by staying on the sidelines longer and playing with a lead more often once the games start.

“We always want to talk about playing complementary football. Offense, defense, special teams,” Watt said. “We are helping each other constantly. We feel like we have an offense that has a lot of weapons. Obviously, we feel the same about our defense. It shouldn’t be lopsided victories all throughout camp. … We are all continuously competing.”

To Watt’s point, seven of the Steelers’ nine wins were by a touchdown or less, and one of the other games (a 20-10 win over the New Orleans Saints) was tied entering the fourth quarter.

So, yes, helping the offense to get better will certainly aid the defense’s own cause.

“If we’re able to go out there and do our job that we’re capable of doing — we have talent all around the board on the defensive side of the ball,” cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “That’s the most important thing. Doing your job to help this collective to be successful.”

Successful enough to win a playoff game for the first time since 2016? That would be a pleasant change.

Bella Construction Training Camp Podcast: Steelers Training camp roundtable as the the players report to Saint Vincent College