Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers head into 2023 with plenty of optimism following a strong finish to 2022. Pittsburgh won seven of its final nine games to end up at 9-8. Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett showed flashes of being a star down the stretch, engineering a pair of late touchdown drives in key wins over Las Vegas and Baltimore. The biggest question will be who handles the play-calling. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada came under fire as the unit struggled to score points, though coach Mike Tomlin credited Canada for the offense’s improvement over the second half of the season.