Tag: 2020 Steelers season

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The NFL is all about trends. Franchise play follow the leader when it comes to what makes for a successful football team and those trends seem to evolve. But there are a couple of tenets which have stood the test of time. One of those is the importance of having lots of speed on the offensive side of the football.

This is an area where the Steelers have fallen short in recent seasons. If you go over the skill position players on the roster currently, there is no player of any significance on the team who scares you with their ability to take a run or a short pass and turn it into a big gain with their speed.

At running back, James Conner, Benny Snell Jr., and Jaylen Samuels are all solid football players with their own unique blend of skills. None of which are game-changing speed. The one back on the roster who has flashed some elite speed is Kerrith Whyte and he’s not a back you build an offense around.

The story is much the same at wide receiver. Like it or not, what Antonio Brown brought in terms of field speed is missed. Diontae Johnson might be the guy but despite his strong rookie campaign, his film isn’t based on raw speed at all.

Having said all that, this draft can fix that. There are several guys at wide receiver and running back Pittsburgh could target to add legitimate speed. I know old-school football fans like to talk about physicality and winning in the trenches. But teams that win have players who use speed to dictate what the other team will do and force them to account for them on every play.

Nothing can change the momentum of a big game like a long run on offense other than a turnover or sack on defense. Pittsburgh already has the later figured out. It’s time to work on the former.

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In 2019, inside linebacker Devin Bush led the Pittsburgh Steelers with 109 total tackles. Just behind him was safety Terrell Edmunds with 105. The dropoff after these two is significant as defensive tackle Cam Heyward was third on the team with only 83 total tackles.

The turnaround by the Steelers defense was nothing short of remarkable last season. While the offense struggled to get anything going all season, the defense was elite for much of the season. This week we are thinking about top tacklers. Is there anyone on the roster who can top Bush or Edmunds?

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Bush was a tackling machine despite having his snaps cut in the middle of the season to help keep him from hitting the rookie wall. And honestly, considering how mediocre Edmunds was in terms of splash plays he did find his way to the football. Can you see anyone overtaking either of these guys this season?

Cast your vote and let us know.

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Last season, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the Pittsburgh Steelers on offense. Lost amidst all the problems at quarterback, injuries at running back further hampered the team’s ability to consistently move the football. Despite missing six games, James Conner led the team in rushing with a lowly 464 rushing yards.

2020 promises a return of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and with him, balance on offense. But which of the team’s primary backs will lead the team on the ground?

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As much as we love Conner as a person and even a player it’s hard to see him staying healthy enough to be the feature back in this offense. If the Steelers draft a running back early in 2020, they would have an inside track on the starting job but for now, I’m sticking with Benny Snell Jr. ending up on the top of the depth chart.

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Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished 8-8 with a revolving door of disappointment at the quarterback position. So I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise the smart folks who make odds are looking for a significant improvement with the return of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the horizon.

Bet MGM placed the over/under for wins in Pittsburgh for 2020 at 11. The only team in the NFL with a higher over/under are the Kansas City Chiefs at 11.5. The Steelers had one of the truly elite defenses in the league last season but the offense just couldn’t keep up. Despite some offseason losses, the Steelers are going to be a much more balanced squad with weapons on both sides of the football.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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In a recent interview with Steelers beat writer Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger addressed a number of issues including his recovery, minicamps and of yes, his supposed weight gain. Roethlisberger offered an update on his weight and a rather clever explanation.

“I’ve heard people say I’m fat, and that just blows my mind. I’m lighter and in better shape, than I was in either of the past two years,” Roethlisberger said. “I haven’t stopped working out. I normally don’t work out in the offseason, but I’ve been doing everything five days a week with my trainer.”

“I guess it’s my beard that makes me look heavier. I must have five pounds in that, I know. But I’m not overweight.”

Roethlisberger took his fitness regimen up two years ago, so it only makes sense he continued it while on IR. Fans of other teams love to take shots at Roethlisberger but even at 38 years old continues to improve and remains one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

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