2009 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Predictions

With their 2009 Super Bowl title, the Pittsburgh Steelers have now won two of the last four NFL championships to make it an NFL-record six all-time. They did it with the NFL’s best defense last season and that unit basically returns intact. Do the Steelers have what it takes to hoist their seventh Lombardi this season?  Get my take in this 2009 NFL betting preview. NFL odds makers have listed the Pittsburgh Steelers at +900 to win Super Bowl XLIV.

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Offense – Ben Roethlisberger isn’t the type of quarterback who is going to lead the NFL in passing yards or touchdown passes, but he is as tough as they come at his position, and he is a proven winner. In his short career, he has already led the Steelers to two Super Bowl victories. While putting up big numbers will impress some, I’m impressed by what Big Ben has been able to accomplish in crunch time. The only reference you need is last season’s winning Super Bowl drive when he accounted for all 88 of those yards to beat the Cardinals. Roethlisberger is big and strong, but he isn’t going to be able to play through injuries forever. At a certain point they will catch up with him. He was sacked 46 times last season to make 139 over the last three years. I know Ben’s scrambles account for some of these, but the bottom line is that protecting him needs to be a priority in Steelers camp.

The Steelers are perennially one of the strongest running teams in the league, but injuries kept them from that status a season ago. Willie Parker missed five games and Rashard Mendenhall missed the remainder of the season after playing in just four games. With these two healthy in 2009, I expect the Steelers to greatly improve on their No. 23 ground ranking a season ago.

The wide receiver position has been very important to the success of the Steelers when you consider that Hines Ward won Super Bowl MVP honors in XL and Santonio Holmes took it home in XLIII. These two return as the starters with Heath Miller expected to start at tight end. Expect Limas Sweed to be the No. 3 wideout.

There were some problems up front in 2008, but the team stood behind the offensive line unit and these guys played pretty well throughout the playoffs. Improvement should be on the way with the same five starters returning.

Defense – The Pittsburgh front line is aging, but the organization is counting on at least one more good run out of ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel and nose tackle Casey Hampton. The Steelers have a nice tackle backup in Chris Hoke and they drafted end Ziggy Hood to provide more depth right away. The Steelers clearly have one of the best linebacker units in football, led by 2008-09 NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison. Harrison set a franchise mark with 16 sacks last season and came up big in the Super Bowl with his 100-yard interception return. He is joined by the Pro Bowl-caliber LaMarr Woodley on the outside. On the inside James Farrior is the captain of the defense and is coming off another Pro Bowl season. Lawrence Timmons is the favorite to step into Larry Foote’s spot at the other inside backer.

Troy Polamalu is one of the best, if not the best, safeties in the National Football League. He is as well-rounded a defensive back as you’ll find and hits like a ton of bricks. Ike Taylor is the best cornerback on the roster and William Gay is expected to step in for the departed Bryant McFadden.

Prediction: 1st AFC North – I have the Pittsburgh Steelers pegged to win the division in my AFC North predictions.  I believe the Steelers will learn something from the slight hangover they experienced following their Super Bowl XL win and will win the division again in 2009. This team definitely has what it takes to repeat as Super Bowl champs. The Steelers are listed at -250 to win the AFC North Division at BetUS.

Check out Craig Trapp’s 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL predictions to see if he thinks they can repeat as Super Bowl champions!

Jimmy Boyd’s NFL expert picks will get you the money this season, guaranteed!

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