With a healthy Big Ben back in town, are the Steelers ready to get back to the playoffs in 2020?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a consistently successful franchise for a very long time now. With Mike Tomlin running the show, they have never had a losing season. However, they have missed out on the postseason during the past 2 seasons.
A lot has happened since the Steelers were last in the playoffs. The Le’Veon Bell contract dispute, the Antonio Brown saga, and Ben Roethlisberger missing the majority of 2019 with a shoulder injury. Despite all that drama, the Steelers have done a really solid job in building up a young core in the meantime.
Players such as TJ Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Devin Bush are talented young players who have been highly productive in a short span of time. Many people talk about the future in Baltimore and Cleveland being bright. But the Steelers have built up a team that can compete and be successful in this division.
As Pittsburgh looks to get back to playoff success, let’s take a deeper look at the Steelers 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 30th (4428 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 31st (2981 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 29th (1447 yards) |
| Total Defense | 5th (4866 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 3rd (3113 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 14th (1753 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 18.1 |
| PPG Allowed | 18.9 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 9th |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 30th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 12th |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Matt Canada leaves QB Coach position |
| Ike Hilliard hired as WR Coach |
Offseason Additions
| Eric Ebron TE |
| Derek Watt FB |
| Stefen Wisniewski G |
| Breon Borders CB |
| Chris Wormley NT |
Offseason Losses
| Ramon Foster G |
| Javon Hargrave DT |
| B.J. Finney C |
| Tyler Matakevich LB |
| Nick Vannett TE |
| Sean Davis FS |
| Artie Burns CB |
| Roosevelt Nix FB |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 2 (49) – Chase Claypool WR Notre Dame |
| Round 3 (102) – Alex Highsmith Edge Charlotte |
| Round 4 (124) – Anthony McFarland RB Maryland |
| Round 4 (135) – Kevin Dotson G Louisiana-Lafayette |
| Round 6 (198) – Antoine Brooks Jr. S Maryland |
| Round 7 (232) – Carlos Davis DT Nebraska |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – at New York Giants 7:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 0-0 |
| Week 2 – vs Denver Broncos 1 PM ET CBS | 0-1 |
| Week 3 – vs Houston Texans 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 4 – at Tennessee Titans 1 PM ET CBS | 1-0 |
| Week 5 – vs Philadelphia Eagles 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 6 – vs Cleveland Browns 1 PM ET CBS | 4-1-1 |
| Week 7 – at Baltimore Ravens 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 8 – BYE | |
| Week 9 – at Dallas Cowboys 4:25 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 10 – vs Cincinnati Bengals 1 PM ET FOX | 6-0 |
| Week 11 – at Jacksonville Jaguars 1 PM ET CBS | 1-2 |
| Week 12 – vs Baltimore Ravens 8:20 PM ET NBC (Thanksgiving) | 3-3 |
| Week 13 – vs Washington 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 14 – at Buffalo Bills 8:20 PM ET NBC (SNF) | 0-1 |
| Week 15 – at Cincinnati Bengals 8:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 6-0 |
| Week 16 – vs Indianapolis Colts 1 PM ET CBS | 2-0 |
| Week 17 – at Cleveland Browns 1 PM ET CBS | 4-1-1 |
Miscellaneous Notes
| Ben Roethlisberger returns after missing 14 games in 2019 |
| Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season as HC of PIT |
| Led NFL in Fumbles recovered in 2019 |
| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 57.8% |
| Rush – 42.2% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. Cameron Heyward DT 91.5 |
| 2. TJ Watt LOLB 91.3 |
| 3. Stephon Tuitt DE 89.1 |
| 4. Steven Nelson CB 80.5 |
| 5. Tyson Alualu DE 80.1 |
Burning Question: Can this defense be the best in the NFL?
Bottom Line: Feels like the 70’s in Pittsburgh, as they once again bring a stout defense to the Steel City. This unit is legit, with many of these players young and on the rise. In my opinion, this is the best defense in the AFC.
The offense is not the same as the 2017 unit that featured Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. It will be time for Juju Smith-Schuster and James Connor to be dependable options in this offense. Both players have showed great potential especially in Juju’s case (1,426 yards in 2018), but they both struggled to stay healthy in 2019. They will be the most important contributors on the offense in addition to Big Ben’s return.
I think the Steelers will be a playoff team led by an elite defense and an elite head coach in Mike Tomlin.
Predicted Win Range: 8-10
