Pittsburgh Steelers: AFC North

2009-10 Record: 10-6 (1st); vs. AFC East: 4-2; vs. NFC: 9-3

2010-11 Strength of Schedule: 21^st Hardest Schedule - .492 (126-130)

Big Games: Week 4 vs. Baltimore Ravens, Week 8 at New Orleans Saints, Week 9 at Cincinnati Bengals, Week 10 vs. New England Patriots, Week 13 at Baltimore Ravens, Week 15 vs. New York Jets

Key Additions: S – Will Allen, WR – Arnaz Battle, LB – Larry Foote, QB – Bryron Leftwich, CB  - Bryant McFadden, OT – Jonathan Scott, WR – Antwaan Randle El

Key Losses: WR – Santonio Holmes, RB – Willie Parker, CB – Deshea Townsend

Draft Picks: 1^st Round – C/G – Maurkice Pouncey, 2^nd Round – OLB – Jason Woods, 3^rd Round – WR – Emmanuel Sanders, 4^th Round – Thaddeus Gibson, 5^th Round – OT – Chris Scott, CB – Crezdon Butler, LB – Stevenson Sylvester, 6^th Round - RB – Jonathan Dwyer, WR – Antonio Brown, 7^th Round – DT – Doug Worthington

2009 Team Leaders:

Passing – Ben Roethlisberger: 337-for-506, 4,328 yards, 26 TDs

Rushing – Rashard Mendenhall: 242 atts, 1,108 yards, 7 TDs

Receiving – Santonio Holmes: 79 rec, 1,248 yards, 5 TDs

Scouting via NFL Scouts:

“If I’m Mike Tomlin, I’m worried about Ben Roethlisberger and if he’ll have the respect of the locker room anymore. It’s a serious problem. He needs to get his life in order or he’s going to be out of there with one more screw-up. … For the Steelers to pretend that they’re not going to miss Santonio Holmes, they’re fooling themselves. I know we’re not sorry to see him out of the division. … They almost have to go back to running the ball 35 times a game and throwing it 20 times (with Roethlisberger gone). It’s a lose-lose situation. If they get off to a fast start and are winning, what do they do when Roethlisberger comes back? … Hines Ward is getting old fast. … LaMarr Woodley is a beast. That guy can get after the quarterback. He’s starting to give us more matchup problems than James Harrison at this point. … This is still a suspect offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey is going to make them better once he gets out there. … The defense has been wonderful under Dick LeBeau, but last year they had trouble closing games out. Is that scheme or execution?”

Thoughts:

So much falls on the running game, the defense and Troy Polamalu. You have to wonder if each can support the weight. And will Ben Roethlisberger be worth the wait? So many steady Super Bowl starters with Polamalu, James Farrior, James Harrison, Casey Hampton, Ward, Heath Miller and Aaron Smith. So much character remains a part of this team; it’s hard to count out the Steelers with or without Roethlisberger. Still, it’s tough to see this football team posing too much of a threat to the elite in the AFC.

Prediction: 9-7 (3^rd)

Cash Scott for Citadel Digital © 2010