And the last shall be first…in the order in which I’m choosing to review each AFC North team’s makeup and prospects for success in The NFL Year of Our COVID-19…in 2020. I’ll run down the rosters and identify a few impact players, with some reasonably obvious conclusions you may or may not agree with, but hey…it’s FOOTBALL.
We continue with last season’s AFC North second-place finisher, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Last season’s Steelers were notable for their vast differential between the offense and the defense. It’s no mystery; the decline offensively coincided with the 14-game absence of starting QB Ben Roethlisberger, and the defense stepped up to produce a level of respectability for the team during this offensive…hiatus? It’s hard to define what happens next with few changes to the QB roster, but it’s assumed 2019-overmatched backup QB Mason Rudolph and holdover practice-squad QB Josh Dobbs have improved enough to carry the team in short stretches. We’ll dive into the roster concerns below.
The Steelers’ defensive proficiency stemmed directly from their 2019 draft selection of MLB Devin Bush, who provided solid sideline-to-sideline run support all season while also proving capable of some coverage success against short routes and tight ends. Bush should only improve going forward, which bodes well for extended defensive success. Also of note was the early 2019 trade for S Minkah Fitzpatrick, who played Pro Bowl-level coverage and provided excellent tackling in what could have been a lost season otherwise. While debate may rage about the state of the roster and the Steelers’ 2020 draft haul’s shortcomings, there’s little question Fitzpatrick proved worth the first-round pick the Steelers gave up for him.
Roster
As discussed above, the Steelers retain a middling slate of QBs overall. To be cliche, all eyes will be on Roethlisberger at season’s outset; should he fail to produce, the Steelers are in deep trouble, as Rudolph proved unable to throw downfield or effectively read a defense. Dobbs, in limited action, shows slightly better field presence than Rudolph and much more mobility, but he simply hasn’t displayed the awareness to escape pressure consistently or throw his way out of it. Rudolph demonstrated little vision or sense of defensive movement; the few times he attempted to throw downfield last season were usually examples of being “baited” by opposing defenses. Rudolph may have been better served with a less conservative game plan, but he hasn’t exhibited the skills that would establish needed trust in him to handle anything more complicated.
The offense’s two major additions this offseason, rookie WR Chase Claypool and veteran TE Eric Ebron, are expected to relieve pressure on Roethlisberger by providing safer, high-percentage routes and bailouts from the slot and edge. TE in particular needed improvement, as the Steelers haven’t had a consistent option there for some time. The running game remains problematic, with veteran RB James Conner slated to start after an injury-plagued 2019 and holdover RBs Benny Snell Jr. and Jaylen Samuels in familiar backup roles. Fourth-round RB Anthony McFarland Jr. may contribute a few carries here and there as well.
The defense should continue to excel, although matching last season’s superlative effort may prove difficult. Franchise-tagged LB Alvin “Bud” Dupree hopes to capitalize on his breakout 2019 season (11.5 sacks), while fellow LB T.J. Watt tries to follow up a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber effort. Recently re-upped DE Cam Heyward should contribute his typical 8-10 sacks and stalwart tackling underneath, while the secondary, led by the aforementioned Fitzpatrick, will be reliant on veteran CBs Joe Haden and Steven Nelson to lock down coverage and force opposing offenses to stay in front of them.
The Steelers return K Chris Boswell, who redeemed himself last year after a disastrous 2018 season, and steady P Dustin Colquitt.
Breakout Potential
As noted above, TE has been an issue for the Steelers the last few years, so the addition of TE Eric Ebron can’t be understated. If he remains healthy, he stands to be a substantial difference-maker in this offense, regardless of Roethlisberger’s status. Wait…who are we kidding?
Prediction
I’ll just repeat the same mantra most national pubs are running with – the Steelers will go as far as the 37 year-old, injury-prone Roethlisberger takes them. Given the vast uncertainly about “Big” Ben’s longevity, I can’t vary from last season’s 8-8 “perfect storm” showing, although I expect they’ll get there by different means. If Roethlisberger proves durable enough, we can probably add two games to the win total.
Next up: the Baltimore Ravens
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