The Steelers have a mandate from owner Art Rooney II to run the ball better in 2021. Then again, they couldn't run it much worse than they did a year ago.
The Steelers gained just 573 rushing yards in their final 10 games in 2020, finishing dead last at 84.4 yards rushing per game. That was the second-lowest total in team history, with only the 1966 team (78 yards per game) ranking worse.
By the same token, the Steelers receivers thrived, despite what was primarily a short passing game. The Steelers wide receivers caught 30 touchdown passes last season, which led the NFL for the position. The receivers combined for 297 catches for 3,096 yards. And all were 24 or younger.
The Steelers selected Najee Harris in the first round of the draft, but they can't exactly ignore a talented wide receiver group that includes JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and James Washington, either.
Smith-Schuster's 308 receptions are the most of any wide receiver in the 2017 draft class. His 3,726 receiving yards and 26 touchdown catches also lead the class regardless of position.
Johnson's 147 receptions in his first two seasons are the most of any wide receiver selected in the 2019 NFL Draft, a group that includes Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown.
Claypool's nine touchdown catches was the most of any rookie receiver a year ago in a class that included the likes of Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb and others.
Washington, a 2018 second-round draft pick, would be no worse than a No. 3 wide receiver for half the teams in the league. He led the Steelers in receiving yards in 2019 when Ben Roethlisberger missed most of the season.
It's an excellent group that is still getting better.
Drops were an issue in 2020, especially for Johnson, who led the NFL with 13 dropped passes according to Pro Football Reference.
“It was just focus,” said Johnson, who has been working catching tennis balls out of a machine to improve his hand-eye coordination. “Just taking my eye off the ball that one split second. Drop the ball right there, and it goes in the back of your mind and you constantly think about stuff like that. That’s the main thing — focus and making sure you look at the ball all the way in before you run. Focus on the catch first, run second.”
But what if the Steelers become a run-first, catch-second team?
Only three teams ran the ball more than they passed it in 2020 -- the Ravens, the Patriots and Titans. The Steelers' run-pass ratio was 36.2-63.8, the second-lowest in the NFL. Only the Jaguars ran the ball less often.
And yet the Steelers did that while ranking 10th in time of possession last season.
The key might be not necessarily running the ball a bunch of times more, but running it a whole lot more effectively when they do.
"We want to be able to run the ball when we have to run it," new offensive coordinator Matt Canada said. "That doesn’t mean we’re going to run the ball for X amount of yards in a game. All that matters here is winning. Our charge is to win the Super Bowl and that’s it. Every year as coaches, you’re trying to create a system to put your players in a position to make plays.
"We’re going to run the ball when we have to run it, and we’re going to throw the ball when we have to throw it. We’re going to do everything we can to get our best players — and we’ve got a lot of really good ones — in position to make the plays their talents direct us to do."
That might not look all that different at times from what the Steelers did in 2020. They might still lean on Roethlisberger and those excellent receivers a lot.
But the hope is that the addition of Harris to the running game and a different mentality up front with an inexperienced offensive line that lost former All-Pro guard David DeCastro just last week -- replaced with former Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner -- can make a difference in the running game.
The skill position players are among the most dangerous in the league. But a lot will depend on where the offensive line goes and how quickly it can gel under new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm and his assistant Chris Morgan.
With DeCastro now released, the Steelers will essentially have new starters at all five positions.
"I feel great about the strides our offensive line is making," Canada said. "Obviously, we’ve got some change. There’s no doubt about that. I think up front, the mindset of what we’re trying to do, the charge from Mr. Rooney to be more physical, to run the football, as an offensive lineman, you’re going to like that. We’re going to come off the ball and do that. Doesn’t mean we’re going to run it a million times or anything like that. Giving them an opportunity to be more aggressive is going to (help)."
Figuring out that proper balance will be the key to the team's 2021 season.
The Steelers can't ignore their talented wide receivers at the expense or simply running the ball more. After all, the most important thing is to win football games.
"We’re focused on just that, putting our players in the best position to make plays and doing what they do best," Canada said. "Whatever form that comes out in, that will be what you see."
