In a season that got off on the wrong foot in Denver, the Steelers were haunted throughout by an assortment of ills — injuries, untimely turnovers and uncharacteristic distractions.

The wounded list was long: safety Troy Polamalu, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley, cornerback Ike Taylor.

The turnovers too many: Roethlisberger‘s back-breaking picks against Dallas and Cincinnati — losses that banished the Steelers from the postseason for the second time during the Mike Tomlin era.

The distractions significantly impacted the team‘s psyche: Alameda Ta‘amu‘ suspension for drunk driving and Rashard Mendenhall‘s suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

Yet, perhaps the most telling mark on this sometimes-inconsistent team is its lack of an identity — except for a defense that consistently plugged every hole until the dam broke at Heinz Field because of another game-changing interception by Roethlisberger...............


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