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2016-2017 Pittsburgh Steelers Team Preview
Key Additions: TE Ladarius Green, OT Ryan Harris, ILB Steven Johnson
Key Subtractions: TE Heath Miller, OT Kelvin Beachum, CB Cortez Allen, S Will Allen, DT Steve McLendon
Strengths
Roethlisberger even had to deal with the loss of star running back Le’Veon Bell and still put up some huge numbers. The Steelers may be facing another similar scenario early on this season (more on that issue later), but they have a wily backfield backup in veteran DeAngelo Williams (907 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns, 4.5 yards per carry) to likely fill in the temporary void left by Bell.
As long as Big Ben remains healthy, the Steelers offense remains a force to be reckoned with. Look for his favorite target in wide receiver Antonio Brown (1,834 receiving yards, 10 TDs) to have another monstrous campaign and Brown’s fellow young wideouts, Marcus Wheaton and Sammie Coates, to greatly benefit just as well.
Weaknesses
We’re going all out to blatantly say that a couple of standout Steelers players are perpetual junkies. Wideout Martavis Bryant has been suspended for the entire 2016 season for failing six (!) drug tests, and Le’Veon Bell’s appeal regarding his four-game ban for missing his own drug tests has yet to reach a verdict.
Apart from their run-ins with the law and illegal substances, the Steelers also have a subpar defense heading into the regular season. Their secondary is as suspect as ever, especially now with the departures of their two Allens – Will and Cortez. Pittsburgh’s linebacker corps is also showing signs of aging, with 38-year-old James Harrison probably on his final year in the NFL and Lawrence Timmons (30) slowly regressing himself.
Key Player – Le’Veon Bell
It’s really unfortunate that one of the NFL’s best running backs, Le’Veon Bell, keeps running into some sort of trouble. The four-year workhorse out of Michigan State was having yet another banner season last year, averaging nearly five yards per carry, before tearing his MCL in Week 8 and after serving a two-game suspension to start the season for his marijuana-related arrest.
Just imagine how frightening Pittsburgh’s offense could be with a healthy and crime-free Bell in the lineup. Remember his breakout 2014 campaign wherein he racked up over 2,100 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns?
Yup, the Steelers need their top back to make it back to the Super Bowl. Then again, it’s all a matter of whether or not Bell can stay in tip-top shape and avoid making boneheaded off-field decisions.
Key Game – at Cincinnati (December 18)
There’s no denying that the Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals hate one another. Just go on and relive the sloppy, penalty-filled playoff grudge match that occurred this January.
Not a sliver of animosity will be lost this upcoming season between these two AFC North bullies, that’s for sure. The Week 15 showdown at Cincy will certainly provide not just more cold-blooded hits and flared tempers, but playoff dreams will also likely be on the line once again in this late-season battle.
2015 Team Stats:
| Category | Stat (Rank) |
|---|---|
| Points per game | 26.4 (#4) |
| Passing yards per game | 287.7 (#3) |
| Rushing Yards per game | 107.8 (#16) |
| Scoring Defense | 19.9 (#11) |
Writer’s Prediction
The Steelers, who are the current favorites at +120 to win the unpredictable AFC North, finish on top of the division for the third time over the last seven seasons. They also win more than 10.5 games to put them over their imposed betting line for regular-season wins.
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