hawaiiansteeler
08-28-2015, 04:04 PM
2015 NFL Season Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers
BY JEFF RISDON
AUG 27, 2015
http://football.realgm.com/images/nfl/4.2/wiretap/photos/Bell_Leveon_pit_130828.jpg
2014 Record: 11-5, won AFC North
Current +/- wins per Bovada: 8.5
Overall: Older Pittsburgh fans might not recognize the Steelers team which went 11-5 and won a tough AFC North division, one which sent three teams to the playoffs. The Steel Curtain is long gone. Only six teams allowed more points at home, and Pittsburgh ranked in the bottom half of just about every defensive statistical metric. Instead, they rode a high-flying offense punctuated with big plays to make the postseason by winning their final four games.
The buzz over the productive offense mellowed somewhat with a humbling playoff loss to archrival Baltimore. As great as Ben Roethlisberger and the offense were in setting all sorts of team records, the glaring holes in the defense cast a long shadow over much of the fervent fan base. It’s hard for children of the Chuck Noll era to grasp their team being so good on offense and so weak on defense.
Their 2015 fate will be decided on how much the defense has closed the gap. Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell and one of the better offensive lines in Pittsburgh in years will still be good enough to win any game. It’s up to Mike Tomlin to revamp the defense with so many of the long-time recognizable names now gone.
Five Questions
1. Can the offensive triplets do it again?
No package of quarterback, running back and wide receiver on the same team has ever posted more yards than what Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown did in Pittsburgh in 2014. Roethlisberger tied for the league lead in passing yards, Bell finished second in rushing yards, while Brown led the league in both receptions and yards. They became the first team to ever feature a 4,500 yard passer, a 1,500 yard receiver and a 1,300 yard rusher.
One of the things about breaking a historical precedence is that it’s unlikely to happen again. There’s a reason why no one had ever done it before. And there are a couple of reasons to project a fall back on a couple of fronts here.
Roethlisberger topped his career-high in passing yards by more than 600. It helped that his completion percentage spiked up to 67.1, over four points higher than his average over the prior four years. Those are unprecedented heights. Expect the completion percentage and yards per attempt to fall back a bit, and that will drag his total yards back down as well. Fret not, Steelers fans, Roethlisberger is still going to be near the league lead in yards and touchdowns. Just temper the high-end expectations a bit; he’s unlikely to ever post figures like 2014 again.
Bell likely won’t reach last year’s 1,361 yards, but not because he lacks the talent. Instead, he’s suspended for the first two games for a traffic incident involving marijuana. It’s better than the three games he was initially slated to miss, but it still limits his top-end yardage. Bell is a complete running back with the ability to win with either speed or power, and he can catch quite well--128 catches in his first two years. He’s only 23 and his refashioned body is well-suited to handle the workload. Even with the two lost games, the young Michigan State product will challenge for the league lead in yards from scrimmage.
Brown is the safe choice to keep up his part of the equation. He’s incredibly reliable from week to week and his ability to work either short or deep, inside or outside makes him very difficult to slow down.
His 129 catches last year represents the 2nd-most in NFL history, and his 1698 yards is sixth all-time. When other wideouts have posted numbers in that realm, they’ve tended to fall off the following season. Marvin Harrison went from 143 (2002) to 94 (2003) receptions, also shaving 450 yards in the subsequent year. Calvin Johnson really fell off from 2012’s record yardage output, but he missed two full games and parts of others in going from 122 catches and 1964 yards to 84 and 1492. Of course, Johnson’s 2011 season ranks ninth on the list, so there is some precedent for Brown to match, if not top his awesome 2014.
As long as this threesome stays healthy, the Steelers offense will remain potent. Big Ben is now 33 and has taken a pounding in his 11 years, but his right arm and shoulder remain sound. I do worry about Brown returning punts, but so far, so good.
2. Where are the playmakers on defense?
One of the most telling statistics on these Steelers came courtesy of ESPN Radio. When I heard it, I almost couldn’t believe Trey Wingo. So I went and looked it up and sure enough he was right. Pittsburgh has created the fewest turnovers in the league over the last three years...
to read rest of article:
http://football.realgm.com/analysis/2657/2015-NFL-Season-Preview-Pittsburgh-Steelers
BY JEFF RISDON
AUG 27, 2015
http://football.realgm.com/images/nfl/4.2/wiretap/photos/Bell_Leveon_pit_130828.jpg
2014 Record: 11-5, won AFC North
Current +/- wins per Bovada: 8.5
Overall: Older Pittsburgh fans might not recognize the Steelers team which went 11-5 and won a tough AFC North division, one which sent three teams to the playoffs. The Steel Curtain is long gone. Only six teams allowed more points at home, and Pittsburgh ranked in the bottom half of just about every defensive statistical metric. Instead, they rode a high-flying offense punctuated with big plays to make the postseason by winning their final four games.
The buzz over the productive offense mellowed somewhat with a humbling playoff loss to archrival Baltimore. As great as Ben Roethlisberger and the offense were in setting all sorts of team records, the glaring holes in the defense cast a long shadow over much of the fervent fan base. It’s hard for children of the Chuck Noll era to grasp their team being so good on offense and so weak on defense.
Their 2015 fate will be decided on how much the defense has closed the gap. Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell and one of the better offensive lines in Pittsburgh in years will still be good enough to win any game. It’s up to Mike Tomlin to revamp the defense with so many of the long-time recognizable names now gone.
Five Questions
1. Can the offensive triplets do it again?
No package of quarterback, running back and wide receiver on the same team has ever posted more yards than what Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown did in Pittsburgh in 2014. Roethlisberger tied for the league lead in passing yards, Bell finished second in rushing yards, while Brown led the league in both receptions and yards. They became the first team to ever feature a 4,500 yard passer, a 1,500 yard receiver and a 1,300 yard rusher.
One of the things about breaking a historical precedence is that it’s unlikely to happen again. There’s a reason why no one had ever done it before. And there are a couple of reasons to project a fall back on a couple of fronts here.
Roethlisberger topped his career-high in passing yards by more than 600. It helped that his completion percentage spiked up to 67.1, over four points higher than his average over the prior four years. Those are unprecedented heights. Expect the completion percentage and yards per attempt to fall back a bit, and that will drag his total yards back down as well. Fret not, Steelers fans, Roethlisberger is still going to be near the league lead in yards and touchdowns. Just temper the high-end expectations a bit; he’s unlikely to ever post figures like 2014 again.
Bell likely won’t reach last year’s 1,361 yards, but not because he lacks the talent. Instead, he’s suspended for the first two games for a traffic incident involving marijuana. It’s better than the three games he was initially slated to miss, but it still limits his top-end yardage. Bell is a complete running back with the ability to win with either speed or power, and he can catch quite well--128 catches in his first two years. He’s only 23 and his refashioned body is well-suited to handle the workload. Even with the two lost games, the young Michigan State product will challenge for the league lead in yards from scrimmage.
Brown is the safe choice to keep up his part of the equation. He’s incredibly reliable from week to week and his ability to work either short or deep, inside or outside makes him very difficult to slow down.
His 129 catches last year represents the 2nd-most in NFL history, and his 1698 yards is sixth all-time. When other wideouts have posted numbers in that realm, they’ve tended to fall off the following season. Marvin Harrison went from 143 (2002) to 94 (2003) receptions, also shaving 450 yards in the subsequent year. Calvin Johnson really fell off from 2012’s record yardage output, but he missed two full games and parts of others in going from 122 catches and 1964 yards to 84 and 1492. Of course, Johnson’s 2011 season ranks ninth on the list, so there is some precedent for Brown to match, if not top his awesome 2014.
As long as this threesome stays healthy, the Steelers offense will remain potent. Big Ben is now 33 and has taken a pounding in his 11 years, but his right arm and shoulder remain sound. I do worry about Brown returning punts, but so far, so good.
2. Where are the playmakers on defense?
One of the most telling statistics on these Steelers came courtesy of ESPN Radio. When I heard it, I almost couldn’t believe Trey Wingo. So I went and looked it up and sure enough he was right. Pittsburgh has created the fewest turnovers in the league over the last three years...
to read rest of article:
http://football.realgm.com/analysis/2657/2015-NFL-Season-Preview-Pittsburgh-Steelers