3 reasons the Steelers are a lock for the playoffs in 2020
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers just missed the playoffs in 2019. Here are three reasons why they are sure to get into the tournament this year.
It’s hard to say that the Steelers underperformed in 2019. After finishing 8-8 with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges, Pittsburgh did exactly what we could have expected them to do in a season without Ben Roethlisberger – maybe even more.
While guarantees can always come back to haunt you, I can pretty much guarantee you the Steelers will be in the playoffs in 2020, assuming Roethlisberger remains healthy this sesaon. There are three key reasons to believe this should be the case.
Steelers get a vast improvement at quarterback
Even if Roethlisberger proves to be just a shade of his former self as a 38-year-old quarterback coming off a serious elbow surgery, he won’t be worse than the embarrassing combination of Rudolph and Hodges last season. In 2019, Rudolph and Hodges graded out as the 35th and 37th quarterbacks in the league, respectively, according to Pro Football Focus. With just 32 starting NFL quarterbacks and 37 qualifying passers, they couldn’t have been worse.
Ben is an experienced veteran who knows how to get the job done. In his last full season as a starter, he led the NFL in passing yards and pitched in 34 touchdowns. Though he also led the league in interceptions, these mistakes are something we can live with if he returns to form.