AFC North Preview Part II: The Pittsburgh Steelers

In Part II of this AFC North preview we come to the team that has been dominate contenders since 2000. This team has suffered only one losing season since the new millennium and has finished 12-4 in three out of the last four seasons. I am talking about an NFL staple, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers season came to an abrupt end in the first round of the AFC playoffs last season losing to the Tim Tebow led Broncos 29-23 in overtime. That game not only ended the season for the franchise, but it also marked the end of some of the Steelers long-time icons such as wide receiver Hines Ward, defensive end Aaron Smith, and linebacker James Farrior. The Steelers are a veteran team filled with talent, but if they are to win another Super Bowl, now is the time. The window is quickly closing on the Steelers as many of their star players are approaching the latter half of their careers, and increased salary cap room will only continue to get worse next season. But the Steelers have spent this offseason working on some long-standing problems and will hopefully overcome some of their roster weaknesses to once again be considered one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

The big news in free agency was the bullet dodged by the Steelers keeping wide receiver Mike Wallace for at least one more year. No team put in an offer to sign Wallace off the restricted free agent, first round tender that the club placed on Him at the beginning of the league calendar. Other than that, the club made no significant signings as they struggled to re-work some existing player deals to free up cap space. After this season the club will once again be faced with a contract battle with Wallace, but that is an issue to worry about after the 2012 season concludes.

The Steelers spent their draft beefing up their offensive line which is, and has been a questionable area for the team in past years. Ben Roethlisberger (or as my Steeler-fan wife calls him: Mr. Fluff N’Stuff) has had his share of punishment over the last few seasons partly due to offensive line play, and partly due to the fact he holds onto the ball longer than any other quarterback in the league.-The line needed to be improved to protect the now 30-year-old signal caller and the Steelers selected two offensive lineman back-to-back for the first time since 1968 (David DeCastro, and Mike Adams). With the addition of these two fine selections the Steelers will now boast one of the strongest offensive lines in the league. As a side note, Has anyone noticed how,,,,,,large Big Ben has gotten over the past few years (Mr. Fluff N’Stuff)? yet if you compare his combine weigh-in in 2004, and his current weight on the official Steelers, and NFL sites, he weighs exactly the same he did when at Miami of Ohio (241 pounds). Just some “food for thought”.

 The big question for the Steelers this season will be their running game. With the loss of Rashard Mendenhall to an ACL tear the team will more than likely run a “back by committee” running game. Isaac Redmond could emerge as a feature back especially with an improved line, but this is not a guarantee.

Another aspect of the success or failure of the Steelers in 2012 will be their defense. Ziggy Hood will be asked to play a larger role this season, and although the Steelers still have a solid starting defense, the age factor could begin to take its toll. Dick LaBeau’s 3-4 aggressive-blitz defense will always cause problems. But this year, more than any other, the Steelers are thin at talent beyond the starting core. Any significant injuries could lead to a tough season especially with their schedule.

I still expect the Steelers to be in contention for a playoff slot this season. There is still more than enough talent on this team to make a run. But I do not expect them to have another 12-4 season. This time, they will need to scrap. Pittsburgh will more than likely win the division at 10-6 but need to go 4-2 within the AFC North. Otherwise they may miss out on the Playoffs as some of the other AFC division teams look to be much better. The AFC North will not have three teams in the playoffs like they did this past year.

If the Steelers can stay healthy and get by with an “average” running game, they will have success in 2012. In Part III tomorrow, we will cover the young Bengals.

What do you think?

Michael W. Youngman--Lead Analyst AFC North
Michael is the Lead Analyst for the AFC North Report and the Cleveland Browns Report. He has written many articles that have been featured by playerpress.com, cantonrep.com, FoxSports.com, and of course this site. Michael has also written a book titled “The Dayton Project” published in 2008 by PublishAmerica. He makes his home in the Hall of Fame City of Canton Ohio with his wife Lisa and his two children Joseph and Jennifer. To learn more, visit his Website