NFL – What’s Lined Up for the Pittsburgh Steelers

What’s in store for the Steelers this season?

The Steelers have historically been a team that’s shown potential at the beginning of the season but ended up fading away when it mattered. These six-time Super Bowl Champions haven’t reached the mountaintop since 2008. But, is that about to change? 

Currently sitting on 3-0 for this preseason, predicting them to win looks easy on the surface, but what will this season bring them, and can this be the year when they reach another Super Bowl final? 

Offense 

Offensively, the Steelers are going to be looking at Trai Turner to lead their line. While he is still young and nowhere close to a “veteran”, he has more than enough starts to his name. They also have a new strategy moving forward. 

Last season they relied on the short passing game a lot – possibly too much. However, this season Ben Roethlisberger has returned following an elbow reconstruction, and his long passes are looking better than ever. 

Najee Harris is also shaping up to be a massive workhorse for the team. His last two collegiate seasons saw him record 460 carries for 2,690 yards and 39 touchdowns. These numbers are a godsend for a team that struggled to score decisive points in the latter half of last season. 

The two issues that the Steelers’ offensive line could run into are consistency and inexperience. While Turner will be the talisman, their four new starters could have to go through some rough patches before they click as a unit. 

This is where the second issue could arise. While a new line of young bucks could be precisely what the Steelers need, there is no telling if they can play together on the big stage until game time. So far, it is looking promising, but so did most of the season last run out. 

Wide receiver Chase Claypool is also hoping to have a slightly different role this season. While his talents are apparent, he ended up being underutilized last season simply due to his positioning. If the Steelers get him more involved when he is on the field he could cause havoc for defenses. 

Defense

With regards to defense, the Steelers are looking very strong. While both the defensive and offensive lines fell apart slightly at the back end of last season, the defense looked excellent until their loss to Washington in December. 

Although they have lost Bud Dupree, many people are under the impression that the combination of Alex Highsmith and Melvin Ingram is an upgrade. Highsmith in particular is garnering a lot of praise already. 

Dupree was a top pass-rusher and quarterback hunter. While some franchises would reel at the loss of a player of his caliber, the Steelers didn’t skip a beat. They are known for developing young, world-class pass rushers, and Highsmith is another example. 

The Steelers defense is also putting them in a position where they could potentially win every week. While that may not end up being the case, they have made it a possibility to achieve. 

From what has been seen so far, the Steelers’ defense will be even better than last season.  This along with an offensive line, that if it clicks, could combine to form a powerful team. 

Super Bowl Chances

When it comes to the chances of the Steelers reaching the Super Bowl, there are mixed outlooks. On the one hand, many think the team has the potential and talent to get to the final and win it. 

On the other hand, some see Big Ben as just too old to compete with the young QB’s that are now dominating the game. There are also doubts surrounding their offense, something that was discussed earlier. 

What is most interesting is that they are currently sitting in the bottom half of the league when it comes to their chances of winning the Super Bowl. Teams like the Patriots, Chargers, and Titans are all sitting on better odds. 

With regards to the playoffs, the Steelers are going to have a tough time of it. In the East, they compete with teams such as the Browns, Ravens, the Bills, and the Chiefs, all teams with big Super Bowl chances. 

Last season proved that the Steelers’ most significant sticking point was consistency. They went 11-0 until their performances just dropped, going 1-5 in their last six games. They also ended up losing their Wildcard 37-48 against the Browns, a team they had narrowly lost to before but comfortably beat in Week 6. 

This is going to be their biggest challenge. There is really no use in going 7-0 or 8-0 if you simply crumble when winning matters. If you are going to have a 14-2 or 15-1 season, you need the mentality to make it happen, not just the right players on the field. 

Now is the time for the Steelers to combine these two aspects of their game. They have the right players; do they have the mental fortitude to go out and win each game? We will have to wait and see if they can put the pieces together on the field.