The Pittsburgh Steelers are eager to prove that their second-half collapse and early playoff exit last season were aberrations, and their window to win one more Super Bowl with veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is still open.
But has Pittsburgh turned the page on last year's nightmare? And will they even reach the playoffs this upcoming season? Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta isn't convinced.
"I think it's going to be difficult. Everything hinges on Big Ben. What's Big Ben going to give them?" Pitta told The Zach Gelb Show on Tuesday. "Is he going to be a shot fighter, a lot like we saw last year? Is he going to be a guy who consistently gives them performances like the Big Ben we've grown to know over the last handful of years? And so, it all hinges on him. Last year, they struggled, offensively.
"They couldn't push the ball downfield very well, they couldn't run the ball. They've lost some key pieces upfront on the offensive line. I think it's going to be a tough year for them. That defense will keep them in games and it'll be a good football team. But making the playoffs with two other teams in their division that I think will be ahead of them... there's a handful of other teams that I think are just going to edge out the Steelers when all is said and done."
Pittsburgh, the reigning AFC North champions, started with a franchise-best 11-0 record in 2020. But they lost four of their final five regular season games, and ultimately fell to the pretender-turned-contender Cleveland Browns in the wild card round. Overall, the Steelers' offense was mediocre, as their unit ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing offense and 25th in yards per game.
Roethlisberger is entering his 18th season as the team's starting quarterback, and this could very well be his swan song. In 2020, the 39-year-old played in 15 games, and threw for 3,803 yards with 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 65.6 completion percentage. For what it's worth, Roethlisberger also averaged the fewest yards per attempt (6.3) in his career.
The Steelers will open the 2021 campaign on the road against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, Pittsburgh currently has the third-best odds (+400) to win the AFC North and the 10th-best odds (+2000) to win the conference.
The entire NFL conversation between Pitta and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.