3 reasons the Steelers are a lock for the playoffs in 2020
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers defense is much improved
Since the 2018 season when Ben played a full year, Pittsburgh’s defense has improved immensely. Cameron Heyward saw arguably the best season of his career as a first-team All-Pro player last year, while the emergence of T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick as NFL stars have made the Steelers defense elite.
In addition, Pittsburgh recently added solid contributors like Steven Nelson and Devin Bush who will no doubt aid in their defensive success next season. Though Javon Hargrave was lost to free agency this offseason, the Steelers get Stephon Tuitt back from the pectoral injury that ended his season 10 games short.
The defense alone was good enough for the Steelers to secure 8 wins in 2019. Though their remarkable takeaway totals is not a number that should be expected to repeat, it’s possible that Pittsburgh’s defense could be better as a whole than it was last season.