2011 Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions
The Steelers won the AFC North with a 12-4 record in 2010 and advanced to the Super Bowl.
The Baltimore Ravens also finished the regular season with a 12-4 mark but Pittsburgh held the tiebreaker with a better record against the division.
The Steelers failed to bring home the Lombardi Trophy for just the second time in eight Super Bowl appearances.
Offense: Pittsburgh ranked 12th in the NFL in scoring in 2010 with 23.4 points per game. It finished 14th in total offense with 345.3 yards per contest.
Despite missing four games due to suspension, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 3,200 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. At age 29, he’s already taken the Steelers to three Super Bowls.
We witnessed a changing of the guard in the receiving corps last year. For the first time in 12 seasons Hines Ward didn’t lead the Steelers in receiving.
Mike Wallace emerged as the team’s top playmakers through the air. He caught 60 passes for 1,257 yards and 10 touchdowns. If you do the math, that’s a 21.0 yards per catch average – best in the AFC.
Ward was still productive, hauling in 59 passes for 755 yards and five scores.
Rashard Mendenhall looks to be the next great Steeler running back. He rushed for 1,273 yards and 13 scores in 2010.
Maurkice Pouncey emerged as one of the best centers in the game in his first season in the NFL and was rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod. Jonathan Scott, Chris Kemoeatu, Ramon Foster and Willie Colon are expected to join Pouncey in the starting lineup this year.
Defense: The Pittsburgh stop unit was the best in the league in 2010. It led the NFL in scoring defense with 14.5 points allowed per game and ranked second in total defense with 276.8 yards allowed per contest.
The run defense was ridiculously good. It was the best in the NFL, holding opponents to 62.8 yards per game on the ground.
The defensive line is aging. Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel and Casey Hampton are all 33-35 years of age. Fortunately, promising prospects Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward have been added in recent years.
Pittsburgh’s linebacking unit is a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior combined for 26.5 of the team’s league-leading 48 sacks last season.
Troy Polamalu, easily one of the best safeties to ever play the game, anchors the secondary. He led the team with seven interceptions in 2010.
Prediction: 2nd Place AFC North – Pittsburgh has a team capable of getting back to the Super Bowl, but the Steelers have struggled following their last two Super Bowl trips. They didn’t even make the playoffs after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in the 2005 and 2008 seasons. One would expect the Steelers to be driven after losing the big game this time, but it can be emotionally draining to get so close and come away empty handed. Just last year we saw the Colts struggle following a Super Bowl loss in the 2009 season. NFL odds makers have listed the Steelers at -105 to win the AFC North.
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