Pittsburgh Steelers fans want their organization to not only return to the playoffs in 2023 but to go beyond. 

And while the roster is brimming with talent, few in the media landscape predict that Pittsburgh will achieve their often lofty goals. 

But on a recent episode of the A to Z Sports Film Room, Pittsburgh is predicted to make history this fall, just not in a way Steeler fans will want to see. 

A to Z Sports Film Room just released their 2023 AFC North predictions on YouTube. In what would be an unprecedented occasion, the crew decided that Pittsburgh would finish in the fourth and final spot in the division, something never seen since Mike Tomlin became coach and that hasn't occurred in over three decades. 

For context though, the film room staff believes that this is the hardest division in the NFL, even noting the Steelers as a potential playoff team. Here is a breakdown of the key components of the team according to the video:

Biggest Strength: WR

"The Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest strength as always is wide receiver," said the A to Z Sports Film Room. "Diontae Johnson is one of the best separators in the NFL and George Pickens, who's going to be my breakout player had a great rookie season, but I think he could take another step forward if he tightens up his route running. He has the athleticism and movement skills to do that. And then Allen Robinson I honestly have no idea what to expect from him but you could do a lot worse than that for your third receiver."

Biggest Weakness: OL

"The biggest weakness for the Steelers I think is the offensive line," added the A to Z Sports Film Room. "I really liked the Broderick Jones pick but I think he has a ways to go to become a high-quality pass protector in the NFL. They added Isaac Seumalo, they've got Mason Cole at center, James Daniels at right guard and Chuks Okorafor at right tackle. Pretty similar to the Bengals where I don't think this is a terrible offensive line but they're just going to get beat at a higher rate than most lines across the league and over time that's going to result in a less efficient offense. I also think as a whole they need to improve their run blocking. Najee Harris has not really been given much space to work with since he got into the NFL."

Biggest Question Mark: CB

"My biggest question for the Steelers is cornerback," noted the A to Z Sports Film Room. "It's kind of similar to offensive line where they have a highly drafted rookie where if he hit the ground running that can make a huge difference, but we don't know that Joey Porter Jr. is going to be good immediately. Outside of that, you've got Patrick Peterson who had an incredible season last year for his age but he's 33 years old. Levi Wallace is solid and then James Pierre is a name I know a lot of Steelers fans like but he hasn't even played a full season worth of snaps for his career, so it's hard for me to put too much faith in him."

Most Underrated Player: Alex Highsmith

"Pittsburgh's most underrated player is edge rusher Alex Highsmith," said A to Z Sports Film Room. "Somewhat of a breakout season last year, 55 pressures and 15 sacks, he's got a deadly spin move and he's the ideal number two pass rusher alongside T.J. Watt."

Prove It Player: Demarvin Leal

"My prove it player is going to be the DeMarvin Leal," added A to Z Sports Film Room. "We could have easily gone with Calvin Austin, but Leal was a third-round pick last year. He didn't see the field too much and didn't make much of an impact when he was on the field and he'll have some opportunities this year. The Steelers are continuing to invest in that defensive line and he's going to have to prove that he's a part of their future."

You can watch the entire A to Z Sports AFC North 2023 Preview here, and be sure to subscribe to the channel. 

Featured image via: © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK