The idea the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense took a step back in Kenny Pickett’s first season at quarterback doesn’t match the stats.

In Ben Roethlisberger’s 18th season as the Pittsburgh QB, the Steelers finished 21st in points and 23rd in yards among the NFL’s 32 teams in 2021.

In 2022, with Pickett starting 12 games, Pittsburgh scored 35 fewer points than in 2021 to finish 26th in scoring but gained more yards, although the Steelers’ rank was 23rd again in that category.

MORE NFL:

· FORMER RUNNING BACK ALEX COLLINS KILLED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

· RONNIE HARRISON GETS A NEW NFL TEAM

· FORMER ALABAMA RECEIVER MAKES A SPLASH IN HIS PRO DEBUT

Pittsburgh kicked off its preseason schedule with a 27-17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night, and it was a promising performance for Pickett’s second season in the appraisal of Steelers running back Najee Harris.

“It was really good,” Harris said. “We always believed in ourselves, even last year. Things wasn’t how we wanted it to be, but we always seen what we can be. And the way we came out here and we stuck together and just us bonding this offseason, in this camp, it’s been really good.”

A 1,000-yard rusher in both of his NFL seasons, the former Alabama All-American played only four snaps during Pittsburgh’s first possession in the Steelers’ preseason opener.

In Pickett’s only series at the helm, Pittsburgh moved 83 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Pickett completed 6-of-7 passes for 70 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver George Pickens, a former Hoover High School star.

“He looked as good as he normally looks,” Pickens said of Pickett.

The Pittsburgh QB passed to five teammates during the drive, including Harris.

“We have a lot of weapons,” Harris said. “Us utilizing them and us coming down there and us executing the plays, moving fast, us having an understanding of what we want, what type of defense was out there, communicating was good. Just us moving the ball down there and scoring was huge.

“It’s the start of kind of like what the offense is going to, to where we’re headed.”

Pittsburgh’s offense hasn’t been headed much of anywhere in recent seasons. After posting the fourth-most yards in the NFL in 2018, the Steelers were 30th in 2019 and 24th in 2020 before the consecutive finishes of 23rd in the past two seasons.

“I thought we saw some things we wanted to see tonight,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said after the game. “First-unit offense, Kenny spread the ball around, kept himself clean, moved the group and we were able to check that box in terms of getting them a quality rep at the process — the things that they did at the hotel, the procedural things leading up to play. That collective of guys, they’re young guys, but they have some experience now, and so we ask them to maybe step outside of themselves in the lead-up to performance and get a feel for the group, what the process of the group’s preparation looks like. So enjoyed that. I think it teed up the performance you saw. …

“We’re not going to wear our hands out patting ourselves on the back at this juncture. We had a good night tonight in some areas. Back to work.”

The Steelers continue their preseason schedule against the Buffalo Bills at 5:30 p.m. CDT Saturday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.

“I think it’s reasonable to expect us to be significantly better next week,” Tomlin said after the first preseason game. “This experience of having been in a stadium and an environment like this, man, if we don’t use it as a catalyst to work next week and get better, then shame on us.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.