Mark Madden: Optimism is growing for Steelers season, but key decisions remain

I had the Steelers pegged at 7-10 before training camp started.

But within the limited context of a preseason exclusively featuring games against bad NFC teams, the Steelers are providing cause for limited optimism.

Like 9-8 tops. Don’t go overboard.

But to merit ascension to borderline playoff contention, the Steelers may have to rush decisions they would likely prefer to make gradually.

Rookie Pat Freiermuth should be the No. 1 tight end. He’s got better hands than Eric Ebron and is willing to block even if he’s not yet great at it.

Freiermuth’s superiority became more evident during Saturday’s preseason game vs. visiting Detroit when he caught two touchdowns and an early pass clanged off Ebron’s mitts. (That’s duly noting Ebron’s four catches for 59 yards. But catches don’t erase drops.)

Yelling the last syllable of Freiermuth’s last name is reminiscent of yelling Heath Miller’s first name. So, there’s that.

Rookie Dan Moore Jr. should start at one of the tackles. Moore has graded well during the preseason, showing agility as a pass-blocker and power as a run-blocker. Zach Banner can’t be trusted to stay healthy or play well. Chuks Okarafor is mediocre. Right now, Moore is the swing tackle. Starting him would be a gamble, but an educated one.

Use Moore at right tackle in Banner’s spot sooner, not later. Banner has been in the NFL since 2017 and has started just twice. That’s not exactly a wealth of experience.

A few of the Steelers’ other questions are being answered organically.

Antoine Brooks Jr. may have taken himself out of the conversation for slot nickel because he’s been injured for much of the preseason. Cam Sutton may play outside in the base defense and move to the slot in the nickel. James Pierre would likely play outside in the nickel.

Sutton got experience in the slot last season. Pierre has looked good dating back to mini-camp. There’s something to be said for rewarding your best performers.

Joe Schobert and Devin Bush won’t replicate Tampa Bay’s combo of Lavonte David and Devin White. But two inside linebackers who can cover is the NFL’s preferred model, and Schobert and Bush are a reasonable facsimile.

NFL teams don’t lose because they lack a run-stopping inside linebacker. But both inside linebackers must be able to cover. The Steelers have better inside ‘backers than they do depth at defensive back. Playing more nickel than dime is possible, and might be good.

Melvin Ingram has looked solid since joining the Steelers. Alex Highsmith has impressed. If T.J. Watt ever gets his contract extension done, the pass rush has excellent depth.

The Steelers haven’t revealed much of Matt Canada’s new offense, but Ben Roethlisberger sizzled in a brief appearance Saturday, completing 8 of 10 passes for 137 yards, two touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

But more encouraging than those stats is Roethlisberger lining up under center 37.5% of the time, 16% more than last year. If that doesn’t happen, the offense can’t change.

Nothing mentioned is particularly big. But it all adds up to reason for very cautious optimism.

But the Steelers schedule is debilitating.

Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Kansas City and Tennessee seem locks to make the playoffs in the AFC. The Steelers play all of those five teams a total of seven times.

Here’s betting the Steelers are 7-6 when they enter their season’s death stretch in Weeks 15-18: Tennessee at home, at Kansas City, Cleveland at home, and at Baltimore.

Visions of collapsing at the end of each of the last three years will be dancing in the Steelers’ heads. So, being 8-5 at that point would be a lot better. Margins will be tight.