This is the first time in years the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been talked about as Super Bowl contenders. This is a mistake.
The Steelers on paper are much more likely to be Super Bowl bound this year than they were at this time last season. Thanks to the emergence of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Maholmes the Steelers are likely going to be going through two of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL on their road to the big game. It is not as though the Steelers have been forgotten about, they just aren’t viewed as the favorites.
2019 proved they can handle adversity
The 2019 season started with the Steelers losing beloved wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. They got beat badly by the Patriots in week one 33-3. They then lost their hall of fame quarter back in week 2 with a season ending injury. Then they lost, at the time, their second or third most productive defensive player Stephon Tuitt not even half way through the season. They also dealt with injuries to their top two wide receivers, and top three running backs all season. With all that being said, the Steelers were one game away from the playoffs. With all the adversity they have had to face, even as a young team, last year alone the Steelers are prepared for almost anything. This offseason has been wild and placed an equal amount of adversity on all the teams throughout the league. The Steelers are as well as, if not more equipped to deal with this adversity than any other team in the NFL.
2019 was motivation
The defense had been saying for years that they needed to do their part. They did that in 2019 and then some. It still wasn’t enough and they will be hard and physical from the start to finish of every game they are playing this year. Ben Roelthisberger is not only looking to prove he can still perform, but looking to prove that he can still win it all. He is coming back from his longest break from the field he has ever been on and he is coming back with a vengeance this season. Ju Ju is entering the 4th year of his contract looking to prove once and for all he is a number one wide receiver and, one of the best in the league to boot. James Conner is looking to remind everyone how dominant he is when healthy this season. The entire team is going to be playing with a new intensity as underdogs this season.
2019 is over
Most importantly the 2019 season is over and behind everyone. They all have a fresh start coming in to the season. They have their leaders back on the field and they are keeping most of their previous roster with a small influx of new talent. Adding Ebron was a huge signing to a tight end group that has dealt with injuries for years. They added depth to the wide receiver and running back positions as both dealt with a lot of injuries last year.
This team looks as good if not better than any other team in the league on paper. Now it is up to the Steelers to prove they’re Super Bowl bound.