The goal for the Pittsburgh Steelers ever season is to lift a Lombardi Trophy in February and with 2021 likely being quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s last year, may be the team’s last best chance at least for a few seasons.
While the goal is Super Bowl or bust, the Steelers have to large challenges in front of them in their own division, The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns.
Pro Football talk’s Peter King is out with his first power rankings for all 32 NFL team’s heading into the 2021 season.
The Browns and Ravens are on the move toward the top spot. The Steelers…not so much.
King has the Browns as the 4th best team in the league with only the Chiefs, Buccaneers and Bills in front of them.
But this is a team of strengths now. The front seven, particularly, could be Steeler-like if rookie linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah hits the ground running as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker, which he was at Notre Dame. Baker Mayfield was significantly more efficient down the stretch (last eight games including playoffs: 15 TDs, two interceptions), which is encouraging,” said King.
He has the Ravens in the 7th slot.
“Baltimore will have its customary strong running game, but GM Eric DeCosta’s focus in the offseason was to get more explosive on offense, adding oft-injured speed threat Sammy Watkins and first-round (Rashod Bateman) and fourth-round (Tylan Wallace) to producers Devin Duvernay and Hollywood Brown. Baltimore’s season could well rest on Lamar Jackson’s ability to make sweet music with three or four of those wideouts.”
Then all the way down at 19, King has the Steelers. (1oth in the AFC).
“I can’t unsee the 1-4 Steeler finish to the regular season, with Ben Roethlisberger presiding over a crumbling offense, and then the most embarrassing home playoff loss in Steeler “ said King. “(Not the fact that they lost, but just the spectacle of Roethlisberger turning it over four times in the first 20 minutes to Cleveland and falling behind 28-0 to Cleveland and giving up 48 to Cleveland, with the Cleveland coach 130 miles away watching from his basement.)”
King also points out that adding Matt Canada as offensive coordinator and drafting running back Najee Harris could help rebuild a running game that was at or near the bottom in 2020.
But he also points out that the Steelers have the hardest schedule in 2021, compared to 2020 when they had one of the easiest. One that helped them start the season 11-0. Something that won’t be happening this year.
Even with a returning Joe Burrow under center, King has the Bengals at 27.