2009 NFL Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

By JFein:

After a thrilling win in Super Bowl XLIII, the Pittsburgh Steelers are not only the 1st NFL team to win 6 Super Bowls, but they are hoping to be the first team since the New England Patriots to repeat as champions. Something that is a whole lot easier said than done. Now before you discredit anything I say because I'm an Eagles fan, I do have a great deal of respect for the Pittsburgh Steelers and what they have been able to accomplish this decade at first with Coach Cowher and now Mike Tomlin all with Ben Roethlisberger at QB. That was a thrilling Super Bowl and a great win for the Steelers, but the keyword there is "was". This is a new year, a new season, and everyone is starting from scratch at 0-0 and the Steelers are no different (face it, this kind of insight is quite hard to come by). That being said, the Pittsburgh Steelers might just be one of the favorites to win the AFC and make it back to Florida and the Super Bowl. Here's a look at some of the keys to this season for the Steelers.

Willie Parker: Ben Roethlisberger may be the quarterback of the Steelers, but Willie Parker is the engine that gets it going. When he does well, the Steelers do well, but when he does not have a good game, chances are the Steelers as a whole are not having a good game as well. If Willie Parker stays healthy through the year and is as productive as he has been in past years, I have a hard time visualizing this team NOT making the AFC Championship game again.

The Steel Curtain: Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense was the best in the NFL. This year, they retain the core group of that defense and even added to it by drafting Ziggy Hood in the 1st round of the draft. As a franchise as a whole, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always been known for their defense (except for a few years in the early 2000s with Tommy Maddox as QB). This era of Steelers is no different. And this year will be no different.

Big Ben Roethlisberger: Some Super Bowl teams would not have gotten there if it was not for superb QB play. Just look at the Colts in Super Bowl XLI and the Patriots in every Super Bowl they made this decade. And that's just naming the recent ones. And then there are the teams that all they need is an average passer to get the job done. Just look at the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV. The Steelers under Roethlisberger are one of those teams. Despite leading a Super Bowl team, Big Ben only completed 59.9% of his passes last season. And while that is certainly not piss poor, you would expect different from a QB who has won 2 Super Bowls in 5 seasons. The trait that makes Big Ben special is his leadership ability, but perhaps more importantly, his performance in the clutch. All you need to do is watch the game-winning drive of Super Bowl XLIII for an example of that.

Video: Aspeaking of Super Bowl XLIII




Prediction: 13-3, 1st place AFC North. Bottom line: this is the team to beat in the AFC.