ESPN power ranking the steelers

[SS Laser]

Pittsburgh Steelers

Power ranking: No. 19

Analysis: The conditional six-game suspension of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a tremendous impact on this voting, as it should. With Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh is a top-10 team. Without him, I believe this ranking is pretty accurate. The Steelers will have to win games early with defense and running the ball next season. Dennis Dixon, Charlie Batch or Byron Leftwich do not have the capability to throw for 350 yards every week. So it's going to be a struggle for Pittsburgh to score points in September. An average or slow start could be looming.

[url="http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/12653/offseason-power-rankings-afc-north?utm_source=bleacherreport.com"]http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_ ... report.com[/url]

Here is the whole list:
[url="http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings?year=2010&week=0"]http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings?year=2010&week=0[/url]

[costanza2k1]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

All propaganda, Ben will come back with a fire lit under him. We're going to dominate and go deep into the playoffs. I'm feeling it.

[steelernation77]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Since when did the Steelers need a QB to throw for 350 yards to win games? There's a horse that's been kept in the gate for too long with a #34 on his back. Hopefully Arians finally wises up and let's him carry this team.

[birtikidis]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Since when did the Steelers need a QB to throw for 350 yards to win games? There's a horse that's been kept in the gate for too long with a #34 on his back. Hopefully Arians finally wises up and let's him carry this team.

you answered your own question as soon as you said "Arians"

[The Man of Steel]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

A #19 "ranking?" This ain't college football people, this is the N.F.L. dammit!!!! Ranking football teams is for amateurs!

[Oviedo]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Probably about right with our QB missing a minimum of 4 games and huge question marks about our WRs.

Shaping up for another 9-7 season unless the defense becomes absolutely remarkable. That will be a big order given the deficiencies we saw last season.

[SteelBucks]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Probably about right with our QB missing a minimum of 4 games and huge question marks about our WRs.

Shaping up for another 9-7 season unless the defense becomes absolutely remarkable. That will be a big order given the deficiencies we saw last season.

IMO, some of those deficiencies on D have been filled. Troy and Aaron Smith are healthy, replacing Gay with McFadden and adding Foote as depth at ILB will do nothing but help. I'm expecting a nice bounce back year from the defense.

[Oviedo]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Probably about right with our QB missing a minimum of 4 games and huge question marks about our WRs.

Shaping up for another 9-7 season unless the defense becomes absolutely remarkable. That will be a big order given the deficiencies we saw last season.

IMO, some of those deficiencies on D have been filled. Troy and Aaron Smith are healthy, replacing Gay with McFadden and adding Foote as depth at ILB will do nothing but help. I'm expecting a nice bounce back year from the defense.

I'm mostly concerned about Harrison hitting "the wall" and only getting 2 sacks in the last 8 games. Foote IMO is a non-factor unless he replaces Farrior, but remember that Foote is coming back from his own injuries, i.e. foot (no pun). Bmac has much to prove because he was one of the worst CBs in the NFL last year. Maybe it was Arizona's scheme or maybe it was Bmac.

From everything I have read, we don't know whether Troy is healthy. By his own words at mini-camp he doesn't know.

That's why Polamalu — who prefers training on his own during the offseason and isn't a big fan of participating in minicamps and voluntary practices — wanted to test his knee during recent team workouts in shorts and pads.

He said his knee feels much better. However, he added some words of caution.

"Right now, I feel fine," Polamalu said. "(But) I don't know what happens when we start tackling."

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

We will go 3-1 in Ben's absense and 9-3 when he comes back. We will win the division and the Superbowl.

[BradshawsHairdresser]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Probably about right with our QB missing a minimum of 4 games and huge question marks about our WRs.

Shaping up for another 9-7 season unless the defense becomes absolutely remarkable. That will be a big order given the deficiencies we saw last season.

Exactly my sentiments.

[Sugar]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Probably about right with our QB missing a minimum of 4 games and huge question marks about our WRs.

Shaping up for another 9-7 season unless the defense becomes absolutely remarkable. That will be a big order given the deficiencies we saw last season.

I can certainly see this. So much will depend on injuries (fingers crossed). Even when Ben comes back, who will he throw to? Hines is having more difficulty staying healthy, Battle and El don't scare anybody and Wallace is going to be getting all kinds of "love" from DB's that he never saw last year.

Strong running game and good D will get us so far, but we need to be able to pass the ball to get over the hump, IMO.

[proudpittsburgher]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Yawn . . . wake me in the final third of the season and I'll check these "Rankings" again.

[Sugar]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Yawn . . . wake me in the final third of the season and I'll check these "Rankings" again.

Now you're talking!!!

[proudpittsburgher]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

Yawn . . . wake me in the final third of the season and I'll check these "Rankings" again.

Now you're talking!!!

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Re: ESPN power ranking the steelers

I'm mostly concerned about Harrison hitting "the wall" and only getting 2 sacks in the last 8 games.

I think that Harrison's lack of production was as much due to the two key injuries as it was him hitting the wall.

When healthy, the Steelers D brings a myriad of concerns to an OC.

* Always have to keep an eye on #43
* Smith and Woodley on the left side of the D coming at you
* Can't run up the middle because that is where Big Snack lives
* DMVP coming off the edge
* Solid secondary with Troy, Clark who hits like a truck, Ike who provides solid coverage, and now BMAC to compliment


Without Smith, Troy, and with Gay in coverage the gameplan is:

*Stop Harrison and we can torch this D.