Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
As you all know from my previous posts, I was born a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I’ve been watching them since I was about 8 years old. As we embark on another season in September, I want to share my Pittsburgh Steelers preview for the upcoming season. Spoiler alert – I predict a 9-8 or 8-9 record. But, I’ve learned through the years that you should never count them out in any season.
Quarterback
A lot of the talking heads have written Ben Roethlisberger off. But, he brought that on himself when he sizzled out for the final five regular season games and playoff game last season. And, they also feel he’s too old at 39 years old.
But, don’t forget that he was coming off elbow reconstruction last season. And, I’m sure that was a big part of his drop in production. Now, he has had another offseason to work on the elbow.
Keep disrespecting him at your own peril talking heads. You’re giving him plenty of motivation. I predict that Ben will have a monster season. With the wide receivers and a running back who can take pressure off him, he won’t burn out this season.
Running Back
Before we get out the anointing oil, remember that Najee Harris is a rookie. But, he’s good and he loves the game. Sometimes the intangibles are just as important. If Najee can get off to a solid start, other teams will have to keep more players in the box which will open up the wide receivers.
He’ll have to stay in and block on third downs, so I hope he can do that well. He’s also a good receiving back. That makes him even more valuable. The Steelers haven’t had a back who can run and catch great since LeVeon Bell. I predict Najee has about 1100 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards.
I hope we see more of Derek Watt as a fullback this season.
Wide Receivers
Juju Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and James Washington have the potential to be the best group in the league. But, that’s if Juju and Chase can focus on football instead of social media. And, if Diontae can limit his drops. I hope Coach Tomlin reigns in Juju and Chase. And, from everything I’m reading, Diontae has worked especially hard during the offseason on drops.
I don’t see any reason that the Steelers shouldn’t have two one thousand yard receivers this year. It could be any two of them. But, I hope that Chase doesn’t have a sophomore slump.
Tight Ends
Drafting Pat Freiermuth from Penn State was a great move. He’ll be the heir apparent when Eric Ebron moves on. I haven’t heard a lot about Pat from training camp this year, but his play at Penn State reminded me of Heath Miller (hold off on the anointing oil).
Ebron is pretty good, but he also suffered from the dropsies last season. I imagine he is set as the starter, so he needs to catch the ball. He can be as dangerous as a wide receiver in the open field.
The wild card is Zach Gentry. He’s having an awesome camp. And, apparently he showed up bigger and has vastly improved his blocking skills. You can’t put a lot into camp performance, but if he can carry it to the season, he’ll be in for his blocking a lot.
Offensive Line
This will likely be the Achilles heel of the team. They are turning over the entire line. And, lines take time to gel. The best of the bunch appears to be Chuks Okorafor. He’s good, but I don’t think he is great. Zach Banner is coming off an ACL injury. He played about a half game last year before going down. He’s been gimpy in training camp so far.
Kevin Dotson is a mystery. He has a lot of potential, but he’s been in the doghouse during the offseason. They signed Trai Turner from the San Diego Chargers. But, the word is he’s playing slow in training camp. As of the most recent depth chart, J.C. Hassenauer is penciled in at center, although rookie Kendrick Green is getting a long look.
If you look at that list of names, these guys are replacing the likes of Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Al Villanueva. Yikes! I predict an unmitigated disaster here with Kendrick Green becoming the next in a long line of super centers for the Steelers.
Defensive Line
Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and Tyson Alualu are very solid. Definitely top five in the league. The problem is the depth behind them. Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs and Henry Mondeaux don’t strike fear into opponents. Let’s just hope the first three remain healthy.
Linebackers
When you have TJ Watt, arguably the best outside linebacker in the league, you’re off to a great start. The other outside linebacker looks to be Alex Highsmith. But, they signed Melvin Ingram from the Los Angeles Chargers, and he could push Highsmith.
At inside linebacker, Devin Bush is coming back from an ACL injury. And, Vince Williams retired a few weeks before training camp. So, it appears they are going with Robert Spillane and Bush. Spillane is a hard worker and smart player, but I’m not so sure he is starter quality.
Depth is also an issue with the linebackers.
Cornerbacks
The Steelers will go with Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton at the cornerback positions. This is Sutton’s first year as a starter. I worry about Haden’s age, but he proves me wrong every year. He’s just solid. I think Sutton will have some growing pains, but I feel like he’s going to be really good by mid-season. Other teams will pick on him early.
They have a hole to fill when they bring another cornerback in on passing downs because of Mike Hilton’s departure. The Steelers appear to be satisfied with James Pierre or Justin Layne. I’m not so sure.
Safeties
If the Steelers can keep him, Minkah Fitzpatrick will be a legend in Pittsburgh. He’s that good.
The Steelers didn’t exercise the fifth year option on Terrell Edmunds. That means he’s playing for his next contract this season. That usually motivates a player. Edmunds has shown flashes, but for the most part, he just doesn’t make plays. Minkah and Terrell have communication worked out, so that will come into play when Edmunds’ future is decided.
Kicker
Chris Boswell is coming off a very good year. He still gets the yips now and then, but that can happen to a lot of kickers. I predict he will have a lot of opportunities this season, and possibly lead the team in scoring.
Punter
Dear God! Please let Pressley Harvin III win the job. Jordan Berry can boot it. But, he also shanks one every here and there. Worse yet, he is absolutely horrible at pinning a team within their ten yard line.
Coaches
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing record in the regular season. But, his post-season success has been an issue. He has a history of poor clock management and lack of preparation against lesser teams. Art Rooney continues to keep him, but I think he will tire of the postseason failures soon. I’ll bet you a dollar to a doughnut that Tomlin doesn’t address the social media issues with Smith-Schuster and Claypool. And, I bet that costs the team at some point.
Matt Canada is in his first year as Offensive Coordinator after spending last season as quarterback coach. I have high hopes. But, he has a tough road ahead. He needs to keep Roethlisberger happy, improve the running game and keep all of those wide receivers in line. I don’t expect an immediate splash. But, I think we’ll see a big improvement over last season.
Kevin Butler returns as the Defensive Coordinator. After a few rocky seasons, he has the defense as solid as it’s ever been in the Tomlin era. Of course, if you give me almost all first and second round draft picks to work with, I might be a successful defensive coordinator too. That was tongue in cheek, but this defense will be in the top five in the league. The problem to watch out for is that the defense tired out at the end of last season. Hopefully, if the running game is improved, that won’t happen this season.
Under the Gun
No coach will be more scrutinized than Offensive Line Coach Adrian Klemm. Klemm is tasked with turning over an entire offensive line and getting them to gel when the season starts. Knowing what I know about Klemm as a player, he will be up to the task. But, you can only work with the talent you are given.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. That’s my preview of the upcoming Pittsburgh Steelers season from a fan that was born into the black and gold. We’ll have to see if my predictions come true. But, here we go Steelers, here we go!!!
