Are the Steelers On Path to Return to the Playoffs?

by

When someone says “Pittsburgh Steelers”, most people typically think of winning, success, pride, and defense. For decades, the Steelers have won, had success, and played with pride and great defense, as indicated by their NFL record six Super Bowl wins. After all, defense wins championships. However, this wasn’t the case for Pittsburgh the previous two years. They missed the playoffs twice and finished 8-8 each season. After two years of disappointment, the Steelers seem to be back on track to return to the playoffs. The Steelers added the likes of Mike Mitchell, LeGarrette Blount, and Lance Moore through free agency and Ryan Shazier, Stephon Tuitt, and Martavis Bryant through the draft, among others. Led by head coach Mike Tomlin and a terrific coaching staff, the Steelers seem like legitimate playoffs contender.

One necessity for every team looking to make the playoffs in today’s game is a capable quarterback. The Steelers certainly have that in Ben Roethlisberger. He has plenty of experience in the league. Roethlisberger has competed in three Super Bowls and won two so far in his career. This previous season, Roethlisberger threw for 4,261 yards and 28 touchdowns. By playing in all 16 regular season games, Roethlisberger showed his ability to stay healthy and durable. Though many will say he has issues with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, it’s not a major problem, as indicated by Roethlisberger’s 64.2 completion percentage in the 2013 regular season. Ben Roethlisberger has been a top ten quarterback in the league. With Roethlisberger under center, the Steelers have a reliable quarterback that is capable of leading the Steelers.

When the Steelers lost Mike Wallace in free agency to the Miami Dolphins last year, many felt the Steelers were in trouble at the wide receiver position, but that wasn’t the case. Antonio Brown stepped up for Pittsburgh, showcasing his elite skills and the ability to be one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. This previous regular season, Brown caught 110 passes (second in the NFL) for 1,499 receiving yards (second in the NFL) and 8 receiving touchdowns. Brown was a vital part of the Steelers’ offense. Also, he showed that he can be the number one target for Ben Roethlisberger. Brown, only 25 years old, is still very young, so the best is likely yet to come. As he continues to improve, the Steelers have one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

Because Emmanuel Sanders left via free agency a few months ago to the Denver Broncos, the Steelers need someone else to step up. That will likely be Markus Wheaton. Wheaton was a rookie last season and didn’t get much playing time. With Sanders gone, Wheaton is projected to start alongside Antonio Brown. We all know what Brown is capable of, as previously stated, but the question is whether or not Wheaton can fill the void left by Emmanuel Sanders. Entering his second season as a pro, Wheaton is ready to breakout. After a successful college career at Oregon State, Wheaton looks to have success in the NFL, too. Wheaton should be able to replace Sanders. Along with Brown and Wheaton, the Steelers also have Martavis Bryant, Lance Moore, Derek Moye, and Darrius Heyward-Bey at wide receiver, providing a good amount of depth. Also, don’t sleep on the reliable Heath Miller. His ability to block well and catch the ball for years has been a huge plus for the Steelers’ offense, especially in the red zone, and that shouldn’t change too much this season.

A major contributor to the Steelers’ six Super Bowl victories has been their run game. After a couple of years of a struggling run game, it appears that the Steelers have fixed the problem with Le’Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount. Bell is only 22 years old and about to enter his second season in the NFL. In his rookie year, Bell ran for 860 yards and 8 touchdowns after missing the first three games. Now, Bell is fully healthy, knows the offense well, and is ready to improve on his terrific rookie campaign. Bell won’t be carrying the entire load in the backfield for Pittsburgh, however.

When the Steelers signed LeGarrette Blount, it was a huge bargain. Though Blount didn’t get consistent minutes with the New England Patriots, he showed that he still is a very good running back. He has an interesting mix of speed and power. Blount ran for 772 yards and 7 touchdowns last regular season with New England. In the Divisional Round against the Indianapolis Colts, Blount ran for 166 yards and 4 touchdowns. Blount and Bell should provide the Steelers with a very good, and possibly dominant, run game to go along with a good passing game.

Defense has fueled the Steelers for years. Times have changed. The offense is much better than in the past, but the defense is worse. The Steelers defense isn’t bad, just not dominant right now.

The defensive line and linebackers of the Steelers are much improved from last season. By drafting Stephon Tuitt, the Steelers added depth and talent to the defensive line. With Brett Keisel aging, drafting Tuitt was huge for not only this season, but the future, too. Along with Tuitt and Keisel, the Steelers also have Cameron Heyward and Steve McLendon along the defensive line. Heyward is only 25 years old and McLendon is 28. The defensive line of the Steelers is still extremely young, but ready. Heyward, entering his fourth season, showed major improvement in his third season. He had 59 total tackles and 5 sacks. That was an improvement from his 20 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in the 2012 season. With his size and strength, McLendon can man the middle of the defensive line. Meanwhile, Keisel provides veteran leadership and consistent play. In the offseason, the Steelers also signed defensive tackle Cam Thomas. Thomas should provide at least some depth and could even compete for the starting job.

Last season, the Steelers struggled at outside linebacker. LaMarr Woodley was often injured and played poorly and inconsistently. Jarvis Jones was a rookie trying to learn the complex defense of Dick Lebeau and the Steelers. If that wasn’t difficult enough, Jones was also faced with injuries. Jason Worilds, however, excelled, finishing the season with 63 tackles and 8 sacks. The Steelers placed a transition tag on Worilds earlier this offseason, which he signed. The Steelers also released Woodley to create cap space. In the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft early in May, the Steelers selected Ryan Shazier, an outside linebacker out of Ohio State. With a rising Worilds, a healthy Jones, and Shazier, the Steelers have a nice core at outside linebacker. All three are excellent pass rushers, which should help Pittsburgh sack the quarterback and create more turnovers, something they did a lot in 2008, but not so much in the past couple of years.

At inside linebacker, the Steelers seem set with Lawrence Timmons and Vince Williams. Timmons has proven to be extremely consistent and reliable for Pittsburgh throughout the years. He is one of the most underrated inside linebackers in the game today. In 2010, Timmons finished with 135 tackles. Then, he finished with 93 tackles in 2011, but 106 in 2012. Last season, Timmons once again showed that he is a top tier inside linebacker, as he racked up 126 total tackles. At only age 28, the best may still be on the way for Timmons. He has great speed and strength with a good understanding of what is happening around him. Timmons is excellent at stopping the run and can cover a wide distance of the field. Meanwhile, Williams is entering his second season. He was a sixth round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and wasn’t expected to start. Due to a bicep injury that would keep Larry Foote out for the season and poor play by Kion Wilson, the Steelers gave Williams chance. He played well, as he recorded 53 tackles. As he enters his second season, Williams should continue to develop and play well along with the veteran Lawrence Timmons.

A major area of need for the Steelers this offseason was the secondary. Last season, the Steelers struggled at cornerback and lacked depth. At safety, Ryan Clark, the starting free safety, left via free agency. However, it appears the Steelers have improved at the defensive back position. They drafted Shaquille Richardson in the draft. Though he’s aging, Ike Taylor is still a good leader and decent cornerback. Cortez Allen continues to improve and William Gay provides depth. Troy Polamalu managed to remain healthy last season and looks healthy so far in the offseason this season. To replace Clark, the Steelers signed safety Mike Mitchell. Last season with the Carolina Panthers, Mitchell ended the season with 66 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 4 interceptions. Now, he brings his talents to the Steelers. By signing Mitchell, who is only 26 years old (27 on June 10th) and will continue to get better, the Steelers significantly improved their secondary. Also, Shamarko Thomas will be entering his second season. He was a highly valued rookie last season for Pittsburgh, though he didn’t receive much playing time. This season, he knows the defense better and should get some playing time while providing depth at the safety position in case of injury.

Even the special teams for the Steelers has improved. Shaun Suisham has been reliable for years and that trend won’t change this year. Dri Archer provides excellent speed and agility for Pittsburgh at kick returner. Unlike in some previous years, don’t expect the Steelers to lose games due to poor special teams play because they have good depth this season and should be able to make plays in kick coverage and on the return.

After finishing 8-8 the previous two seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers finally seem to be on path to return to the playoffs. They improved in all three phases of the game. Remember, the Steelers finished the 2013 season 8-4 after starting 0-4 and nearly made the playoffs, even after a horrendous start. Now, Pittsburgh appears to have a good offense with an improved defense. The AFC North and the entire league better be ready, because the Steelers seem poised to return to the playoffs in 2014.

Stats and ages used in this article are via ESPN.go.com and steelers.com and accurate as of May 25th, 2014.