Steelers recently projected modest 2020 record and Super Bowl odds

The Pittsburgh Steelers stand to be an improved team in 2020, but here’s why they were given a modest record production and Super Bowl odds.

While repeating the 38 takeaways Pittsburgh’s defense was able to compile last year will be nearly impossible, most would agree that the Steelers, as a team, will be better in 2020. Though the defense could theoretically take a step back, the offense will be much improved.

The return of Ben Roethlisberger is evidence of this. With Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges at the helm for the Steelers last year, it was anything but smooth sailing. Though the two backups were able to hold down the fort mid-season, the year ended in disaster with Pittsburgh scoring just 10 points in each of their last three games to close the year.

Defensively, the Steelers lost Javon Hargrave this offseason, but Stephon Tuitt is returning to the field, while young players like Devin Bush and Terrell Edmunds stand to be improved in 2020. With emerging superstars already on the team like T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, there’s no reason to believe this unit won’t be among the best in the league again in 2020.

But despite all of the arrows pointing up for the Steelers, NFL analysts aren’t buying into Pittsburgh as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Recently, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote an article predicting the regular season record of all 32 NFL teams – using Caesars Palace Super Bowl odds as a guide. Knox predicted the Steelers would finish 10-6 this year. Here’s some of what he had to say:

"The Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances of making the playoffs hinge almost entirely on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s health… While Roethlisberger should be healthy this season, there’s no guarantee he’ll stay upright or be back to a Pro Bowl level after elbow surgery. Assuming he is at least an upgrade over Hodges and Rudolph, though, Pittsburgh should be back in the playoffs. The Steelers have weapons on offense—including James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Vance McDonald—and they have a defense that ranked fifth in both yards and points allowed last season. While a competitive AFC North should keep Pittsburgh’s win expectations in check, the two-year playoff drought should be over if Big Ben can last the full 16-game slate."

While a 10-6 season isn’t exactly a slap in the face, fans are obviously hoping the Steelers could make a legitimate run at a Super Bowl this season. With the way the cap is going to work out next year and the Pro Bowl players, Pittsburgh has set to hit the market, this could be their last legitimate shot.

Unfortunately, Mike Tomlin’s team was given just 25-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl in 2020 – making their odds the same as both the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts this sesaon. Even the New England Patriots, despite all of their losses this offseason, have better Super Bowl odds (20-1).

Upon the NFL schedule release, I predicted the outcome of each game for the Steelers in 2020 and settled on a record of 9-7. However, that would likely change now that we’ve seen how Ben Roethlisberger has had no setbacks and seems to be doing very well throwing the ball at training camp.

At the end of the day, the Steelers season truly does hinge on Ben Roethlisberger’s health in 2020, but there are plenty of reasons to believe they will be a much-improved football team this year. However their record plays out, let’s hope they can make a legitimate Super Bowl run this year.