Pittsburgh Steelers 2018 bold prediction: More receiving yards than you’d expect
By Dan Gilliam
The 2018 season is finally here and I have one bold prediction for the Pittsburgh Steelers – They will have three WR’s with at least 1000 yards receiving.
This milestone has not been achieved since the 2008 Cardinals. I bet you are thinking one of two things; you are crazy, that is impossible, or who is the third guy? (I’ve already been asked this). The answer may surprise you (or not), but the changes to this years roster may make this prediction a reality.
Ben Roethlisberger seems extremely motivated after the selection of his supposed replacement, Mason Rudolph in the NFL draft. He has come to camp slimmer and is working with a nutritionist apparently. He may be seeing this as the twilight of his career and also a reminder that his playing days are coming to an end. I think we see the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback emerge again and produce at a very high level.
The passing stats are similar to the Cardinals. Kurt Warner had 598 attempts to Ben’s 562, last year. But if you break that 36 down per contest in a 16 game season, it averages to a difference of only 2.25 attempts.
The biggest reason I am making this prediction, is the addition of James Washington. Since the Steelers drafted him this year he has made play after amazing play in the preseason and training camp. The Steelers traded the troubled star Martavis Bryant and then selected the much better Washington.
In his four years at Oklahoma State, there were three years over 1,000 yards receiving, while Bryant had none at Clemson. James Washington can play both receiver positions, in the slot and the outside. He can be interchangeable with Juju Smith Schuster, making the offense more explosive and hard for defenses to read.
The new offensive coordinator, Randy Fichtner’s, play calling will have to be more creative. Le’Veon Bell has not reported yet and that means getting the ball into the hands of our playmakers and this will open the door for more three wide receiver sets.
Without Bell, there are over 110 targets that need to be redistributed and that means more for the wide outs. I am eagerly anticipating this Sunday’s game to see this happen. James Conner running with a spread out defense could potentially be a lot of lanes to run through.
The Pittsburgh Steelers look different this year but they are still the same organization with six Super Bowls victories. I know that there is a lot of controversy now but this is when we are at our most dangerous.
Next. 4 situations the Steelers can put Bell through. dark
I still remember the 2008 Super Bowl win. It seemed like one of the hardest schedule in over 30 years but we still achieved something that most thought was impossible. This can be another year to achieve something so difficult and if it is accomplished why not win our 7th Lombardi Trophy to top it off?