Pittsburgh Steelers 2016 Season Preview

(photo credit: rantsports.com)

Plagued by injuries last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were never able to reach their full potential. Pittsburgh finished 10-6 last season, but they very easily could’ve had a better record than the Cincinnati Bengals if they were healthy, which means they would’ve won the AFC North. Pittsburgh was a problem in the playoffs, as they defeated the Bengals in one of the craziest games in recent memory by a score of 18-16. They advanced to the Divisional Round, but they were without superstar wide receiver Antonio Brown, and they didn’t have running back Le’Veon Bell who was still nursing an injury from the regular season. 

To make matters worse, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an injured shoulder, but somehow the depleted Steelers competed with the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. The Steelers enter this season with their roster healthy and ready to go (sort of). Pittsburgh will be without wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who is a suspended for one season. Bell has recovered from his leg injury, but he faces a four-game suspension for missing multiple drug tests. The suspension hasn’t been officially announced, which means Bell will be allowed to play in week one unless a suspension is announced. Other than that, the Steelers figure to be one of the best teams in the AFC. 

Despite getting older, Roethlisberger is still playing at an extremely high level. Roethlisberger threw for 3,938 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, while completing 68% of his passes. Despite throwing 16 interceptions, Roethlisberger is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Behind him are two very quality running backs that are capable of taking over a game. Bell’s season was cut short last year, but he’s still had a very solid career through three seasons. Bell has rushed for 2,777 yards and 19 touchdowns, and he’s fumbled the ball just once in his career. 

DeAngelo Williams is another running back that the Steelers can use in their high-powered attack. While filling in for Bell, Williams rushed for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, Roethlisberger’s biggest weapon is wide receiver Antonio Brown. Brown caught 136 passes for 1,834 yards and 10 touchdowns. Other than Julio Jones of the Falcons, Brown had the most receiving yards in the league. Pittsburgh figures to have one of the best teams in the league with its high-powered offense, and a rebuilt defense that will help create possessions for the offense.