Tim Benz: Steelers fans may hope for Cincinnati's offense, but San Francisco's is the more logical model

As the NFL playoffs move along without the Pittsburgh Steelers involved, I’ve noticed a lot of conversation on sports talk radio and on social media to the following effect:

”If Kenny Pickett continues to develop, can the Steelers offense ever become what the Cincinnati Bengals have with Joe Burrow?”

I get it. That’s the hope. Why wouldn’t it be? A wonderful quarterback in Burrow. Maybe the best in the league. A trio of standout receivers. An excellent running back in Joe Mixon. And, given how often the Bengals offensive line is beaten up and in a state of flux, the Steelers may already be better there and at tight end with Pat Freiermuth.

But, again, I’ll use the word “hope.” The Bengals are the hope. I actually think the San Francisco 49ers are the model.

Sure, in Pittsburgh, we can hope that Pickett matures into what Burrow is. They are approximately the same size. They came out of college at roughly the same age with Power-5 seasoning. Both are smart with confidence, poise and leadership. They run and move in the pocket well but aren’t burners. They have good enough arms, if not Josh Allen-esque cannons.

It’s just that right now, Pickett looks like the Bud Light version of Burrow’s Johnny Walker Blue. Burrow has already blended the art of taking risks to make his offense move while taking care of the ball. Meanwhile, Pickett managed to do the second part of the equation over the last eight games of his rookie season by only throwing one interception after the bye week. Yet he only managed seven touchdown passes overall.

Burrow may have thrown four interceptions in the season opener against the Steelers but threw just eight over the final sixteen weeks. That was against 35 touchdowns during the regular season. Only Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes had more with 41.

At receiver, the hope is that George Pickens can be Tee Higgins and Diontae Johnson can be Tyler Boyd. But then you better double down your hope that the Steelers draft Jordan Addison and he becomes the college-to-pro-teammate replication of what Ja’Marr Chase has been with Burrow. And if it isn’t Addison, the Steelers need to find another Pro Bowl-worthy pass catcher somewhere early in the draft.

You don’t have to hope too hard for Najee Harris to be what Joe Mixon is at running back. In fact, over his first two years in the league, Harris has 2,930 yards from scrimmage, while Mixon has 2,819. You just have to hope Harris can remain that much of a threat for six years in one uniform as Mixon has.

That’s a lot of hoping.

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Theoretically, though, becoming the 49ers is a lot more attainable from a Steelers’ point of view. That’s if the coaches are smart and develop an offense that would put Pickett in as many good positions as rookie signal caller Brock Purdy gets in San Francisco.

See, now I’m substituting if for hope. But stay with me.

Because, for as superb of a job as Purdy has done since becoming the starting QB in San Francisco, there’s nothing in his toolbox that Kenny Pickett doesn’t have. There are plenty of reasons why Pickett was drafted 20th last spring and Purdy was taken last overall at 262. Those two are essentially the same size. Their styles are akin to one another. But the ceiling for Pickett should be higher.

Every time I see Purdy run that offense, I think of Pickett running something similar in Pittsburgh, and I drool. The passing windows. The receivers are running open in space by way of design and not exclusively winning one-on-ones. The multiplicity and potential for big plays with run after the catch. The use of backs and tight ends in the passing game as intended weapons instead of just checkdowns.

I’m getting hot flashes just thinking about it.

Of course, the surprisingly effective Steelers offensive line isn’t what San Francisco’s is. Freiermuth isn’t quite George Kittle at tight end, but he is in the same breath. Harris and Jaylen Warren are different kinds of backs from Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell. But they could work within the construct.

The Steelers don’t appear to have a Deebo Samuel at receiver. But how do we know what Pickens can be in that regard if he so rarely gets to catch a pass in open space?

The point is systems can be built. Schemes can be crafted. Players can be found to fit those systems. Guys such as Burrow, Higgins, Chase and Mixon in Cincinnati — those guys are born. And molded. And came into the NFL ready to be stars.

Brock Purdy did not. But coach Kyle Shanahan’s scheme with the Niners is giving Purdy a chance to show that he could become one in the right circumstances. And I bet Pickett will too, if he ever gets to play in a system that allows him to flourish in the same way Purdy has in San Francisco.

Then again, wishing that Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada can scheme up plays and sequences like Shanahan may be the biggest hope of all.

So forget everything you just read. Maybe Pittsburgh’s best hope for a playoff model is the Penguins if they ever get back on track.

I’m not exactly holding my breath there, either.

Listen: Tim Benz previews the NFC Championship and talks about the rise of Brock Purdy with John Lund of KNBR radio in San Francisco.