Mark Madden: Risk-averse Steelers play it too safe

The first practice at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp takes place July 27 at 1:55 p.m. It’s scheduled as precisely as a NASA launch, or the ball dropping in Times Square.

“Times Square” should be Diontae Johnson’s nickname.

Break out the lawn chairs and Styrofoam coolers. “I really like that undrafted guy at whatever position. I bet he starts after the bye week.” Then, by career’s end, said “undrafted guy” gets cut so often it’s a wonder he doesn’t bleed to death. Or worse, he becomes a Pittsburgh Mauler.

The Steelers will have a singular focus. It’s not to win a Super Bowl. That’s what’s preached, but it became a lie years ago.

The Steelers will focus on playing it safe and going 9-8. That’s not what they think they’re doing, but that’s how it turns out.

The Steelers don’t take risk in the name of potential reward.

The Steelers don’t take enough shots downfield. They scored just two touchdowns from outside the red zone in 2022, fewest in the NFL.

That’s absurd. That’s not how the NFL is.

When the Steelers lost at Philadelphia, 35-13, last Oct. 30, the Steelers had the ball for more than 34 minutes as per their preferred method. But Philadelphia got four touchdowns before ever running a play in the red zone. The Eagles doubled the Steelers’ season output for touchdowns scored from outside the red zone in just over 32 minutes.

That’s how the NFL is. Score quick, score more.

The safest bet for 2023 is that wideout George Pickens throws a tantrum over not getting enough deep shots, or enough targets in general. If Kenny Pickett had the proper ambition, he’d be mad about going from first-round pick to game manager.

The lack of risk in search of reward applies when it comes to personnel decisions, too.

Here’s betting first-round pick Broderick Jones and second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. don’t start Week 1 against San Francisco. Dan Moore Jr. will play left tackle. Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson will start at cornerback. Porter will get sub packages.

It’s the Steelers’ policy to break rookies in slow. Not always. But, for example, the Steelers traded up to get Troy Polamalu in 2003, then didn’t start him a single game as a rookie.

That very likely will apply to Jones and Porter.

It’s safe in terms of experience. It’s dumb in terms of talent.

Jones and Porter could struggle early. But what if they don’t? What if each quickly plays up to his considerable potential?

Moore and Wallace are ham-and-eggers. Moore was a fourth-round pick. Wallace went undrafted.

Take the risk that Jones and Porter will immediately be better. They could be.

If they are, the Steelers have a better team. Maybe they go 11-6, not 9-8. Even one more win makes a huge difference.

If taking risk fails, what’s really the difference between 9-8 and 7-10? Except that Coach T’s precious streak of never having a losing season crumbles.

That would be welcome. It would remove an artificial level of accomplishment that’s come to mean too much when it really means nothing.

The Steelers’ aversion to risk is why they’re not likely to take a quantum leap from last season. They don’t give themselves that chance. They play it safe.

Safe stinks.

Starting Moore in Week 1 might not exactly be “safe.” Not with 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa lurking.

Could Jones do better? His talent dictates that’s a possibility. Let’s find out.

The Steelers face elite pass rushers in each of the season’s first three weeks: Bosa, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby. Trust Jones’ talent, not Moore’s experience. But the Steelers will think the opposite.