Steelers: 5 bold predictions for the 2016 Steelers
By Josh Fitzer
Quite a few power rankings have the Steelers, usually, within the top 10. Everyone saw what they could do without a few key players, now, hopefully, we can see what they’ll do with those few key players.
Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers nearly made it to the AFC Championship game. They did all of that without Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, and Maurkice Pouncey. This off-season has seen quite a few power rankings put the Steelers, usually, within the top 10, some in the top 5. The citizens of Steelers Nation are expecting great things this season, as is the rest of the NFL world.
Here are 5 bold predictions for the 2016 Steelers:
I mean, come on, would anyone be surprised by this? Even if you hate the Steelers, you gotta admit how realistic this actually is. Brown could’ve accomplished this last season, he finished second in the league in receiving yards, behind Julio Jones. I have zero doubt in my mind that if Ben can stay healthy for an entire season, AB will meet this prediction, and then some.
Ben Roethlisberger will finish the year with most passing yards and touchdowns, but won’t become MVP
Nothing against Bruce Arians, but since Todd Haley’s arrival, Big Ben has gotten better each year. In 2014, Ben finished the season tied with
for most passing yards. Since Ben has the likes of Antonio Brown,
,
,
,
,
, Le’Veon Bell, and DeAngelo Williams, there’s no reason that Ben couldn’t obtain this prediction. A lot of NFL news outlets continue to not put Ben in the elite class, and this will be the reason why he won’t win MVP. I hate typing that because I’m a lot like
when he was crying when talking about
. Except I’m crying and saying, “Ben’s my quarterback.” Ben is my guy, he’s one of my all-time favorite players, I can get defensive when someone talks bad about “my quarterback.” I really hope I’m wrong in Big Ben not winning the MVP.
Yeah, this a bold prediction. Because Shazier has yet to stay healthy for a full season. In 2014, Shazier only played in 10 games, including the post-season loss to the Ravens. In 2015, he played in 14 games, including the two post-season games. 2015 saw Shazier’s “break out” game in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers, where, Shazier recorded 15 total tackles (11 solo, 4 combined), 1.0 sack, and one forced fumble. The time of Lawrence Timmons occupying the middle is, slowly, coming to an end. The Steelers need Shazier healthy for an entire season, and beyond. I have all the confidence in the world that Shazier can be the player that the Steelers need him to be.
Bell is the best running-back in the NFL, hands down. But I feel that us in Steelers Nation, and the rest of the NFL world, were short changed last season. Bell’s 2015 season was cut-short against the Bengals at home, after he tore his MCL. I, obviously, place no blame whatsoever on Bell, or anyone else. These things happen. But Bell also served a two-game suspension at the beginning of last season. So, it really sucked to see Bell’s season over before it really began. I said all that to say this: I don’t believe that Bell has any sort of “ceiling.” The way we’ve seen Bell play, has been nothing short of amazing. He’s a complete back. Period. I couldn’t care less about the recent reports that Bell failed a drug test, and I don’t care that he’s making rap songs with Snoop Dogg. Don’t jump conclusions, leave the man alone. As I’ve said previously in this post, about other players, if Bell keeps his head on straight, and stays healthy, there is absolutely no reason that he can’t come back strong, and finish the year as the league leader in rushing.
Yep. My final prediction has the Steelers bringing home their seventh Lombardi. Since the Steelers beat the Cardinals in Super Bowl 43, all of us have been waiting for that seventh trophy. Year after year, we hope for it, we long for it, we crave it. The Steelers, usually, rank within the top 5 in odds of winning Super Bowl LI. They’re in some pretty good company, the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and Arizona Cardinals, also sit atop many of these lists. Many believe the Steelers are just “a secondary away” from winning another Super Bowl. The additions of Artie Burns and Sean Davis, in the 2016 draft, will help a lot, but no one is sure how often they’ll contribute this season. But it helps to have consistent mainstays like William Gay, Mike Mitchell, and Robert Golden providing experience on the backend. Ben & company plan on scoring 30+ points a game, which, the kind of weapons that Ben has at his disposal, it’s hard not to believe it.
Next: Steelers News: Moats, Arians, Contracts
I know I’m not the only way to say this, but I can’t wait for the season to start. All of us have missed a lot of players, and we can’t wait to see what the new additions to the Steelers will bring. We’re almost there, guys. We’re almost there.