After a crushing playoff loss to the Denver Broncos a week ago, the Steelers now have a longer-than-usual offseason to re-group, improve, and make changes. I’ve long since thrown my hands up at the final loss and instead of looking back, I’m at the 2011 season and ahead to 2012 to see what type of team the Steelers can be.
Best 2011 Developments:
Young Money Crew â€" After Mike Wallace’s breakout year in 2010, I had trouble imagining a better 2011. Instead, through the first half of the year, he emerged as one of the best game-breaking receivers in the league. Wallace was slowed in the second half as teams adjusted to his blinding speed and big play ability, but this opened the door for team MVP Antonio Brown to become another huge playmaker in the passing (and return) game. Brown and Wallace are both Pro Bowlers this year, and with a healthy Emmanuel Sanders next year, the Steelers should have an explosive passing game to take advantage of Big Ben’s arm and Bruce Arians’s aggressive play-calling.
Isaac Redman - Pittsburgh is a city that always wants a bruising back. For the past two years, even as Rashard Mendenhall has put up solid numbers to lead the rushing attack, the fan base has yearned for Isaac Redman to step in. With Mendenhall’s ineffectiveness (and eventual injury), Redman was able to do just that and give Steelers fans their style of back. Redman looked good in spot duty throughout the year, and saved his best for last with two strong games against Cleveland (fumbling aside) and Denver. It will be interesting to see how Mike Tomlin handles the running duties in 2012 but too many players is always a good problem.
Draft Supremacy - Analysts spent the week after the Steelers opener pointing out the age and wear on the Steelers team (particularly on the defensive side of the ball). And while that holds merit, the Steelers front office has done a fantastic job of stocking the team with playmakers to step in as older players step down (see: WR corp and Hines Ward this year). In addition to the young receivers on offense, the Steelers are ready with Ziggy Hood and Cam Heyward up front, Jason Worilds at linebacker, and Keenan Lewis and Cortez Allen at corner. All made great contributions to the team this season and will continue to grow and hold “The Standard†as they’re asked.
Biggest 2012 Challenges:
AFC North Dominance - While Pittsburgh and Cincinnati both lost their Wild Card Weekend games, it is still worth pointing out that the AFC North had three of the six teams in the playoffs this year. In the past, the Steelers have rarely had to compete with more than one other divisional rival for the AFC North crown, but with the development of Andy Dalton and AJ Green for the Bengals and the series sweep at the hands of the Ravens, Pittsburgh will have four tough intradivision games next season. Thankfully, Cleveland still offers up the Browns two times each year.
Turnovers / Sacks â€" Injuries and suspensions to James Harrison and Lamar Woodley certainly played a role in lower numbers here, but losing more than 25% of our sacks and flipping our turnover margin by 30 (30!!!) from 2010 is extremely troubling. The defense had a stellar year from a yardage and points perspective (and the turnover margin was not helped by the offense at times) but the inability to create big plays (the second Baltimore game, the playoff game) and instead wait for teams to make their own mistakes (Browns, Chiefs, Bengals, etc.) makes beating the upper echelon of the league very difficult.
Offensive Line Play - Acknowledging again the injury problem that led to countless changes across the front five, I saw a consistent lack of protection in our passing game and a general inability to create running lanes for our backs. Pittsburgh has invested two high picks in the past two years (Pouncey and Gilbert) to solidify this unit, but without a concerted effort, they will continue to expose Roethlisberger to injuries and struggle to control games on the ground.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are an organization built to compete for a Super Bowl every year, and even with the challenges facing them both internally and across the league, they are well prepared or the 2012 season. It was a very unusual and uncomfortable feeling watching the Divisional Playoffs without the Steelers over the weekend, but I have little doubt they’ll be playing in front of the hometown crowd at Heinz Field next season.
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Adam | PSD Blogger
(photo by Getty Images)
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