Steelers 2012 Preview
The Sun will rise on the Steelers 2012 season on September 9th in the same place it set, ending their 2011 season last January, in Denver, Colorado. This season, like last, has high hopes for the Steelers and the chase for number seven. However this year’s team will have a bit of a different look with the exit of several veterans who carried this team to two titles in a span of four years and an influx of youth ready to do the same.
The Steelers have long been a team considered a playoff contender but somehow seem to fly under the Super Bowl radar, that’s the case this year. LaMarr Woodley likes it that way. He says it’s “good sometimes” and “those are the teams that usually sneak in and win it all”. If we go back just seven short years you can say that LaMarr Woodley is correct. Six of the last seven champions were not the Super Bowl favorite heading into the season and that includes are beloved Steelers, twice. But can the Steelers really win it all this year? Do they have the experience to lead the way or will the youth movement prove they are just not quite there yet?
That depends on several factors; the coaches need to do one of the best jobs they’ve ever done as there are several guys who will need them to game plan and scheme for them as the young guys on this team don’t have a whole lot of experience yet, if any in the case of the rookies. The veterans like Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Keisel and LaMarr Woodley need to lead the way and carry this team on their backs. The rookies and young guys need to step up and prove they are ready for the spotlight and the team needs to stay healthy as a whole.
COACHING:
It all starts at the top and Mike Tomlin, entering his sixth season as the Steelers main man may face his biggest challenge since being a rookie head coach taking over a team two years removed from winning it all. Tomlin has the experience now, coaching five successful seasons including four playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances and a championship. Hard to argue with that resume but this is the first time that he’ll really need to rely on rookies and guys in their first few years since he took the job in 2007. Tomlin will need to be sure that his players buy into his philosophies, teachings and leadership. By all accounts the players love playing for him and love his intensity. I’ve stood mere feet from Tomlin as he’s coached the black and gold and you can feel his presence and you can see the respect his players do have for him. I believe he will get the new guys on board and they’ll fall in line and meet the “standard” as he likes to call it.
Next up is the old sage Dick Lebeau. He’s a mastermind who’s been the architect of this new version of the Steel Curtain for the last eight years. His players love him, they’ll do anything for him and they respect everything he has to say. LeBeau can be soft spoken but he commands that respect from his players. If you don’t show it to him and play the way he expects, he’ll sit you. It doesn’t matter who you are. That’s what makes him so great. Not only has he been a great coach but he played the game for 14 years too, meaning he’s not just some guy who doesn’t have the experience of playing in the league. Players can relate to him because of that, no matter his age. LeBeau will need to find a way for this team to rank a little higher in the turnover department this year as while they did finish number one in the league last year, they rarely came up with turnovers. It’s hard to be great without getting a few per game. Part of that can be attributed to some major injuries to the Steelers during the season that prevented LeBeau from being able to fully unleash some of his schemes and part of it could be a lack of luck but that must change. LeBeau has implemented a few tweaks to this year’s version of the Steel Curtain but all in all he’ll continue to utilize the same game plans and schemes that have made this one of the scariest defenses in the league year after year under his watch.
Todd Haley takes the reigns as the new Steelers offensive coordinator and this was one of the most talked about moves of the offseason. With the dismissal of Bruce Arians and the hiring of Haley there was a lot of talk that Roethlisberger was unhappy and wasn’t thrilled at the idea of Haley coming in. Many thought Haley would put the brakes on Big Ben and really force the run game on this offense. Through the early part of the pre season that all seems to be nothing more than media driven drama. Ben and Haley both say their relationship is coming together and blossoming as they get more familiar with each other. The run game doesn’t seem to be the dominant force in his offense and it appears that Haley is smart enough to realize his offensive strengths and weaknesses and is willing to build his offense around those strengths. In other words, he’s willing to utilize his best player, Roethlisberger, in a way that will drive the offense, not hinder it, while potentially giving Roethlisberger some protection and get this Steeler Nation, using a full back! Now that’s something Arians certainly didn’t seem to understand.
Offense:
The offense will once again be led by Big Ben Roethlisberger. He is the strength of this unit and it’s anticipated that the offense will go through him. It’s possible that the amount of times that he drops back per game may decrease this year under Todd Haley but the objective is to keep him healthy. The team will go as far as Roethlisberger will take them and with him behind center throwing to Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown, the strength of the offense is by far and away the passing attack. Throw in Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery as the third and fourth receivers and the ever consistent Heath Miller at Tight End and this unit is one of the best in all of the NFL.
The running game has suffered some setbacks going back to last December when Rashard Mendenhall went down with a knee injury and leading into training camp with Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer getting injuries as well. Many believe Redman should be available by opening day and if so he’ll be the starter without question. Redman is a good back, capable of gaining 100 yards each time out. Jonathan Dwyer is deceptively quick and could provide a good plan B for the Steelers as Mendenhall heals. Even with Mendenhall off the PUP list, don’t expect him back until October at the earliest. However, at that point, he may not gain his starting job back if Redman performs the way he’s capable.
The weakness of the offense is still the offensive line. Yes, it’s improved, drastically from a year ago with the arrival of rookies David DeCastro and Mike Adams as well as the return of Willie Colon. The past several years calling this unit a weak spot was an understatement, now it’s a compliment. This unit could be very good, but of all the offensive units, it still has the most questions. Max Starks and Marcus Gilbert appear to be the starters at Tackle, Gilbert was up and down as a rookie last year, will he improve and by how much in his second full year. Starks is coming off a knee injury and didn’t see much physical action in training camp, can he step back in and be effective or will they have to rely on rookie Mike Adams? Adams can be good but based on pre season action, he doesn’t seem ready yet. The guards will be Willie Colon and should have been rookie David DeCastro. DeCastro wasn’t showing super star status in pre season but he was definitely slated to be the man at guard for a long time. The start to his career will have to be delayed as he suffered an ACL and MCL injury at Buffalo in week three of the pre season. This is a big blow to the team and it forces Ramon Foster into the starting role in place of DeCastro. I personally don’t expect DeCastro back this season but I’m writing this the day after the injury, so things are always subject to change based on information that may come out. Colon has missed basically all of the last two years with injuries. He was one of the best O linemen the team had before the injuries but he now shifts to guard, can he be as effective in a new position and after two years away? The best player on this unit is All Pro Maurkice Pouncey. He’s a great center, one of the best in the league and he’ll need to help lead the young guys and show them the ropes. In addition to Adams off the bench you’ll have veterans Trai Essex (who I think will be re signed) and Doug Legursky. Both players are good guys to come in and give guys a breather but not guys you’ll want to see starting. If a situation arises where the team needs to start a bench guy; something has gone severely wrong somewhere.
DEFENSE:
This may be a first in the history of this club but the defense is the weaker unit this year. That’s not to say they can’t be an extremely good defense and a very effective unit but there are certainly some big questions.
The D line is the weakest unit on the defense and on the entire team as a whole. The line will be held down by Ziggy Hood, Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel. All three suffered injuries last year and Keisel and Hampton are aging. Hampton is a bigger concern as he really hasn’t been able to practice this summer and it’s hard to say if he’ll be able to come back from a knee injury as severe as his was. Steve McClendon has been impressive in the pre season and in game action last year and I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see him open the season as the NT in the starting lineup and not Hampton. This unit will be responsible for run stuffing and pushing back the opposing O line so the healthiest and best guys must play no matter the name or salary. The team will also need 2nd year man Cam Heyward to come in and be a spark off the bench to give Keisel and Hood a breather now and then. Don’t be shocked if Heyward has to start a few games as well due to injuries somewhere.
The linebackers are on a mission this year as well. Woodley missed a lot of time last year but he appears to be healthy and I believe poised to have a massive statistical season. By his own account the team under achieved last year on defense due to various reasons and he thinks they can be much better this year. I completely agree. The linebackers are the strength of the defense. Woodley and Timmons are in their prime and they will be responsible for leading the charge and leading the team in tackles and sacks respectively. James Harrison has been hobbled all summer but insists he’ll be ready by opening day, let’s hope he is. There is no other force in the NFL like Mr. Harrison when he’s healthy as he scares the living day lights out of any opposing player. Timmons and Larry Foote should be starting in the middle and Timmons in my opinion had a down year last year and I look for him to be back on top this year leading the team in tackles going well into the 100’s in that category. Foote is the savvy vet who the team needs on the field. If any injuries go into the start of the season then don’t discount the play making ability of 2nd year man Chris Carter. He has looked solid in pre season. The team would love to see Jason Woirlds come back soon too as he’s a pivotal cog on this unit having started 7 games last season on the outside.
The secondary has some questions but should be able to get the job done. The team ranked first in pass defense last year but the lack of turnovers, specifically interceptions was glaring. That needs to improve. Ike Taylor will always match up on the opponents’ top receiver and he’s capable of covering anyone. Taylor is quick and an experienced veteran who has seen and done it all. He’s a fringe pro bowl player and I look for a big year out of him. Of course the one and only Troy Polamalu will be in the strong safety spot and the real key is keeping him healthy. He will always play like a wild man and that’s how Dick Lebeau wants it but with that you know that he’s always an injury risk. The defense certainly centers around Polamalu and his big play capability. He’ll be in the secondary or he could come up to the line and blitz the QB, you never know, a healthy Polamalu for a full year should lead to big things for this entire team. Ryan Clark will be the guy on Troy’s side playing free safety. He and Troy feed off each other and are a great one two punch. The second corner spot will most likely be Cortez Allen. He can cover the receiver and has good ball hawking skills but he hasn’t seen a lot of action as a pro yet so he may get picked on by the opponents until he proves to them it’s a mistake to throw his way.
OUTLOOK:
Last years’ team finished a stellar 12-4 and in the top wild card spot. If not for several key injuries I believe they had a very good chance of making a deep playoff run last year. While we look ahead to this season it’s an impossibility to predict injuries that may occur but we can certainly take a stab at what we think will happen with this team based on the information at hand.
The first 4 games see the Steelers travel back to Denver to open the season on Sunday Night football. This time they won’t be facing Tim Tebow but rather a huge upgrade for the Broncos in Peyton Manning. Manning hasn’t played in over a year but he still appears to have it and this will be a challenge. Ryan Clark will not play in this game due to his sickle cell condition and that cost the Steelers last January. While I believe this game can go either way I’m going to give the win to Denver here. It’s a tough game in hostile territory with an improved Denver team and a high altitude in what will still be the summer weather.
The Steelers will see Tim Tebow the following week as the Jets roll into town. The Jets are not that good from what I can tell and the Steelers should handle their business at Heinz Field. Following a win vs. the Jets the team will go out to Oakland and beat the Raiders before heading into a week 4 bye. Following the bye; Mike Vick and the high flying Eagles offense will come to town. It could be a very high scoring game with two potent offenses taking the field but the battle of Pennsylvania should go to the black and gold.
After four games the Steelers will be 3-1. The one down side to the first quarter of the year is the bye week in week 4. Ideally the team would have it around week 10 or so but you play with the hand your dealt.
The next set of four games start with a visit to the Tennessee Titans. The Titans are planning to open the year with Jake Locker at the helm and if that is the same by the time the Steelers see them this should be an easy win. Even if it’s Matt Hasslebeck the Steelers should roll in this game. They then head to division rival and 2011 upstart Cincinnati to take on the young Bengals. I anticipate a step backwards for the Bengals and the Steelers will show them who’s king of the division with a win here too. The team then comes home to see rookie RGIII and the Redskins. This should be an easy win as well. The black and gold will finish the first half of the year by visiting the defending champion New York Giants. This will be a fantastic game and it will feature Eli vs. Ben in the battle of two two time Super Bowl winning QB’s and the cream of the crop of the 2004 draft. I again think this game could go either way but I have to give the edge to the hometown Giants in this one.
The Steelers will have another 3-1 quarter and finish the first half at very respectable 6-2.
The second half of the year will start right back on the road vs. Todd Haley’s old team, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs may be improved over last year but the Steelers should win this ball game and head home for a big matchup against the hated Baltimore Ravens. The first of two Ravens games in a matter of three weeks will be intense and hard hitting. These games can always go either way and usually seem to be decided by a field goal or less. This time the Steelers will handle their business at home and take the Ravens down. Following the Ravens slugfest the team will visit the Browns in Cleveland and introduce Brandon Weeden to the NFL by whooping up on him and the rest of his teammates. The quarter closes out with a visit to Baltimore to play the Ravens again in what should be another boxing match. Expect even more hard hits and even some fights in this one as these two teams who already hate each other immensely will have some bad blood carrying over from the game two weeks prior. While again this game will probably come down to the end, sadly, I have to give this one to the Ravens but I’ll certainly be happy with a split with the Ratbirds.
The third quarter features another 3-1 record and advances the Steelers to 9-3 on the year.
The final quarter will feature the Steelers playoff push and battle to win the division. At an anticipated 9-3 the team will be in a prime spot to take home the AFC North crown. They’ll start the quarter off with a win at home vs. the San Diego Chargers who should be a playoff contender but let’s face it, they don’t win in Pittsburgh. A visit to Dallas follows and while a win could easily be had by Pittsburgh here as I don’t think the Cowboys are all that good, I just have a gut feeling the Cowboys are going to sneak away with a victory in this one. The last two weeks will feature division games starting with a visit by the Bengals and another Steeler win and then a visit by the Browns who will probably be a 3-4 win team for the year and the Steelers will finish up with a win against them too.
By my calculations that gives the Steelers another 3-1 quarter and a 12-4 regular season which should win them the AFC North and most likely get them the first round bye they coveted in 2011.
From there the playoffs will fall as the rest of the league plays out and the Steelers do have the potential to ride this 2012 train all the way to the Super Bowl. I think it will be tough and there are certainly some potential road blocks such as rookies playing pivotal roles and not performing, injuries, aging veterans not delivering as they used to or big mistakes costing them games they should win. While all that is certainly possible, it’s not something that I see in my 2012 crystal ball. This team will be a very fun team to watch again and you can bet your life that Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and the rest of the black and gold are all hungry to hold up that Lombardi Trophy for the 7th time in franchise history.
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