Last season the black and gold rose up and found themselves atop the AFC North at the end of the season, boasting an 11-5 mark and good enough for their first AFC North title since the 2008 season.
Sure things didn’t work out as they fell in the AFC Wild Card game at home to the Ravens, but the window is open according to many, and the Steelers could come knocking in 2015 for a chance to play in Super Bowl 50.
Plenty of sites have the Steelers returning back to the postseason, and you can check the best odds for online sports betting from William Hill Canada for NFL odds and so much more as the 2015 season gets closer.
One person though that doesn’t appear to be on the side of the black and gold is that of Don Banks, reporter for Sports Illustrated.
Banks broke down each team in all the NFL divisions, and this is what he has to say about the Steelers:
3. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers showed me something in terms of resilience last season, fighting their way to an 11–5 record and the division title, but it seemed more of an aberration rather than a return to playoff perennial status. So much has to go right for Pittsburgh to repeat that first-place finish, and I can’t see first-round pick Bud Dupree being the difference-maker on the pass rush, with rookies Senquez Golson and Doran Grant transforming a weak-link secondary. Back to .500 the Steelers go.
Banks does have some legit thoughts about the Steelers possibly going a step back, but at the same time, the division isn’t as strong as it has been, as it’s hard to think about three teams making the postseason again in 2015 as they did in 2014.
The Bengals can’t get a playoff win to save their lives, and as far as the Ravens go, there’s a thought that this will possibly be the season that their defense goes backwards after they have been able to hold their own the last few seasons.
The Steelers have a lot to prove, as always they will have their detractors, but at the same time, don’t count them out, as they will take on a tough slate that will prove if they are worthy for the second year straight to be AFC North champions.
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DaveB.
May 23, 2015 at 5:08 am
In all honesty , his 2015 assessment of the Steelers is probably fairly accurate . The pressure was already on the offense to put up points because of a weak defense . Now , we have no LeVeon Bell for the first three games which puts even more burden on the offense . The defense at this moment , has a hundred more questions than answers and thats being kind . At the end of the day ,Ben and the offense are going to have put up nearly 30 a game for this team to have a legitimate shot at winning and thats asking alot of any offense . A .500 season is probably more realistic .
DrGeorge
May 25, 2015 at 1:54 pm
I agree, Dave B. The Steelers backed into the playoffs last year with the help of a late loss by the Ravens. And our own losses to Tampa Bay and Jacksonville cannot be ignored. We were an inconsistent, mediocre team in 2014, notwithstanding our 11-5 record.
Even though we acquired talent in the draft, rookies, even good ones, are not likely to fix our problems at safety and cornerback over night or provide us with an instant pass rush. Butler will need time to work his magic. But the primary reason I do not expect a winning record in 2015 is our meat-grinder schedule. There are no sure wins for us this year, which will give our defense little time to rest and a small margin for error.
To take pressure off the defense, the offense not only needs to score, it needs to control the clock and keep the opposing offense off the field and let our defense rest. The offense couldn’t do that last year, and there was no upgrade to the O-line that would make that likely in 2015.
On balance, to expect even a .500 season may be too optimistic. What I am looking for this year is improvement. But to make the Steelers a true contender, they will need better talent at safety and corner than they have on the current roster.