SI’s Banks: Steelers headed for trouble in 2010

Veteran SI reporter Don Banks has out a list of eight teams that are headed for trouble due to their actions during the offseason. The Steelers are on the list, coming in at #5. Here’s what he had to say about the Steelers:

5. Pittsburgh

REASON TO WORRY: Nothing real tricky about picking the Steelers. When your starting and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback is currently in counseling and slated to open the year with a four- to six-game league suspension, there’s officially reason to worry about the direction of the season. Though I’m on record as saying Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension (I’m still banking on it being four games, and I imagine Ben is too) won’t necessarily doom the 2010 Steelers, you have to be realistic.

REASON NOT TO PANIC: The Steelers are among the NFL’s most resilient and resourceful franchises. They know who they are, what they’ve traditionally done well and how to build a winning team. They won’t overreact and try to re-invent themselves without Roethlisberger in the lineup. If anything, they’ll probably get back to Steelers basics and win with defense, a running game and the element of surprise.

You can see Banks’ complete list HERE

As for what he says about the Steelers, of course the Roethlisberger suspension is probably the key reason for him even putting the team on the list, but the run game along with a better defense with the return of Troy Polamalu and Bryant McFadden coming back should help. The team is hoping to simply do what it can to avoid a say 2-4 start if Ben is out for the first six games.

I still feel that with the early schedule – vs Atlanta, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay, vs Baltimore, vs the Browns, and at Miami, the team has a shot to go 4-2 or hopefully at worst 3-3. If Ben is out just the four games that hopefully will be the case, is 3-1 out of the question?