By: Jeremy Trottier

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a relatively interesting position after the 2020-2021 season.  Odds are Ben Roethlisberger will retire after this season, based on his previous injuries as well as his age and contract.  After a first round exit in last season’s playoffs, they likely will be trying to go all in on this season to make a push to give big Ben a proper sendoff.  In this article, I will be going over three reasons as to why the Pittsburgh Steelers are still contending for a Super Bowl in the 2021-2022 season.

Top Defense in the League

One of the biggest selling points for the Steelers as of the last few seasons is how phenomenal their defense has continually been.  In 2020 they finished with the best DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), at a total of -20.2% (DVOA has a lowest = best standard).  This was 1.2% ahead of second place which was New Orleans at -19.0%.  Another stat that is impressive towards this notion is they only gave up the third least amount of yards over the course of the regular season, at 4,893 yards (20 behind 2^nd place).  

They also ended up tied for first in most interceptions taken away from opponents at 18 (tied with New Orleans, Miami, and New England).  Overall, this defense is one of the if not the best currently in the NFL, which hugely helps the Steelers chances at making a run for the deep playoffs.  As we saw this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to succeed so much due to an extremely potent defense, alongside a quality offense.  

Skill Position Talent

The Steelers have really improved their skill positions in the last few seasons, with additions like Najee Harris, Chase Claypool, Pat Freiermuth, Eric Ebron, and more in the past few offseasons.  Adding these players on top of others like Juju Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington allow them to really give Ben Roethlisberger a chance to just get the ball to playmakers and let them do the work. 

The addition of Najee Harris cannot be overlooked, despite the Steelers need for IOL.  Najee is an extremely talented back based on what we all saw at the college level from him, and if he can continue this at the NFL level, the Steelers should have their new elite playmaker.  Pat Freiermuth is also a very solid pickup, ranked by most as the number two tight end in the class his receiving abilities add to an already stout passing attack.

The Offensive Line Additions

One of the biggest gaps people have been pointing to on this Steelers roster is the offensive line, as they lost a lot of their starters this offseason.  With that said, they have the players along this line to hold up when needed.  Going from left to right, they have at LT presumably Zach Banner, who despite only playing 59 snaps in 2020, allowed zero sacks and had no penalties.  He played in 14 games only a season ago as well for the Cleveland Browns, so he has some experience.

At left guard they have Trai Turner, probably the most solidified and high quality member of the line, has started 89 of 93 games he has played in, and has been a very solid member of the teams he has played for so far.  At C, presumably the sophomore from Alabama will get the start in J.C. Hassenauer, who despite being an UDFA, got four starts in his 2020 rookie debut and gave up no sacks in all his snaps.  He does need to work on penalties, as he had five in his four starts, but that is able to be worked on.  Another sophomore at LG is Kevin Dotson, the 6’4” 321 pound monster out of University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  A 4^th round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he also got 4 starts in 13 games, allowing 0 sacks and only having three penalties, as well as a 66.2 PFF grade, which despite not being the be all end all of how good a player is, it has a lot of good factors going into it.  Finally, at RT, Chukwuma Okorafor, one of my personal favorites to really show up in 2021.  At 6’6” 320 pounds, his frame is absolutely perfect to be a tackle, and he has an innate ability to anchor down and stop rushers in their tracks.  This will be huge for Najee Harris as a gap rusher, because Okorafor will be able to create those gaps for him. 

The post Why the Pittsburgh Steelers are still Super Bowl contenders for 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Trenton Roberts (Twitter: @TRobertsNFL)

Background:

As the NFL offseason slowly moves along, there is increasingly less to talk about as we wait for the season to roll around. With more time on our hands, writers and journalists are looking for anything to write about. That was where the idea for this series arose from.

In the NFL today, there are many young talents who seem to already be heading towards acquiring a bust in Canton. Reaching the NFL Hall-of-Fame is one of the most prestigious honors any player can hope to achieve in their careers and is what motivate many players to improve and play at the highest level. In this series, we will discuss how some of these players have already left their marks and what they can do to ensure their eventual enshrinement.

Over the next ten weeks, we will make our way through twenty total players in the NFL today under the age of 28 who are well on their ways to the Hall. Twice a week, a new name will be discussed and debated in order to see where they stand and what they can do in their “Quest for Canton”.

Article:

As we get into the second week of the Quest for Canton Mini-Series, it’s time we look at our first defender. While offense is fun, I’ve always been more enthralled by the pass rush, and there is perhaps no edge defender better at it today than Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.

The younger brother of three-time defensive player of the year and future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt, T.J. has made a name for himself in his four seasons in the league. Since being drafted with the 30^th pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Watt has started in all 64 games he has appeared in, missing just two of the team’s 66 games in that span.

In that stretch, Watt has totaled a whopping 49.5 sacks (including a league leading 15.0 in 2020), a total which ranks him third during that span, behind Chandler Jones (50.0) and Aaron Donald (57.5). His overall pressure is also elite, with his 111 quarterback hits during that time frame leaving him second to Donald (120).

Looking at the first 4 seasons for pass rushers in history, Watt’s 49.5 sacks ranks 7^th all-time in that department, with five of the six ahead of him being current or future Hall of Famers (Mark Gastineau is the only one to miss the cut). His 17 forced fumbles through four seasons ranks him fifth in that category, behind three future Hall of Famers (Freeney, Mathis, Ware). 

Despite his success as a pass rusher throughout his career, Watt has also developed a strong nose for the ball. His four interceptions through four seasons tie him with Packers legend Clay Matthews III for the most all-time for a player with over 40 sacks in their first four years in the league. 

T.J. Watt’s knack for forcing fumbles and intercepting the ball make him one of the most feared pass rushers of this generation. Still just 26 years old, Watt is just now ready to enter his prime, which is a terrifying thought for any quarterback who has seen what the young phenom has already accomplished.

With 31 linebackers and 38 defensive linemen already in Canton, Watt seems to be at one of the better positions to get noticed and make a run for a gold jacket. Should he continue his current trajectory and win a few defensive player of the year awards along the way, expect the youngest Watt to join his older brother in the Hall of Fame someday.

Come back again later this week for our fourth player in the Quest for Canton Mini-Series: Cowboy’s running back Ezekiel Elliott.

The post Timeline and outlook of TJ Watt’s dominant career appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Dave Stewart

Throughout their history, the Pittsburgh Steelers, when they are winning, have always been led by an intimidating defense. While there have been stars at all levels of the defense, with names like Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Greg Lloyd, and Joey Porter, just to name a few, there has almost always been a legendary safety roaming the backfield. Interestingly enough, two such safeties to lift the Lombardi Trophy in black and gold both were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Donnie Shell and Troy Polamalu are both beloved in Pittsburgh. Shell was a stalwart of the Steeler defense through the late 70s and deep into the 80s. During the team’s second back-to-back Super Bowl championships, he was a key player and those two seasons began a run of five consecutive Pro Bowl invites for him. He also earned First-Team All-Pro honors during three of those seasons. Shell was also a turnover collector, totaling 51 career interceptions and 19 recovered fumbles. Still, his most impressive statistic might be the 201 games that he played for Pittsburgh in his 14 seasons.

Polamalu was an enigma in the course of his career in the NFL. With his signature mane of hair flying wildly behind him, he seemed to cover more ground than was humanly possible. A problem both rushing the passer, as well as in pass defense, Polamalu undoubtedly provided many sleepless nights for opposing offensive coordinators. He flew to the ball and hung his hat on his closing speed when chasing down the ball carrier.

As a Steeler, Polamalu tallied 32 career interceptions to pair with 14 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, and 12 sacks. He scored five touchdowns and carried home a Defensive Player of the Year award. Eight times a Pro-Bowler and four times an All-Pro, Polamalu set a new benchmark for play as a Steelers safety and is respected among the game’s best. A drawback to his all out reckless playing style were the injuries that inevitably came with. Polamalu missed over 30 career games with various physical ailments.

The latest version of menacing Steeler defense also features a marquee player at the back end. The Steelers hope to have hit the jackpot again when they traded their 2020 first round draft pick to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick early during the 2019 campaign. While it is too early to place him on the same level with the aforementioned Shell and Polamalu, there can be no doubt that his rangy, ball-hawking style added a different dimension to the Steeler defense and did so immediately upon his arrival in the Steel City.

In his very first game as a Steeler, Fitzpatrick secured an interception and forced a fumble. Several weeks later, facing his former team, he recorded his first multi-interception game when he hauled in a pair of picks. In his 48 career games to date, Fitzpatrick has intercepted 11 passes and recovered four fumbles, with all but three of those turnovers coming after his trade to Pittsburgh.

A primary difference between Polamalu and Fitzpatrick is the role they play. As a free safety, Fitzpatrick mans the deepest parts of the field, whereas Polamalu played strong safety, often lining up close to the line of scrimmage and rushing the passer at a far more significant rate. With no sacks to his credit and only one quarterback hit, which incidentally came in Miami where they did have him playing strong safety, Fitzpatrick is unlikely to ever accumulate the amount of sacks that Polamalu did.

A similarity between the two players is evident when considering their playmaking abilities. Both safeties have tremendous ball skills and excellent closing speed, making any quarterback Leary about throwing in their direction. At 24 years old, Fitzpatrick’s career has really just begun. He has been active for every game in his first three seasons, starting in the last 40 consecutive contests. Steeler fans hold out hope that his overall career trajectory will be on par with those who have come before him in Pittsburgh. His ability in pass coverage will come in handy particularly in 2021, as the team is thin at the cornerback position. Scheming zone coverage to mitigate that weakness will be required. With a lot more football in him, my belief is that Fitzpatrick will assume the mantle of his predecessors and become the next in a line of great safeties in western Pennsylvania.

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