4 Pittsburgh Steelers Who Could Take a Step Back in 2012

The Pittsburgh Steelers have undergone a lot of changes this offseason, which should have a mixed bag of effects on the team.

On one hand, the Steelers were able to cut a bit of veteran dead weight when they released players to get under the salary cap, and the addition of Todd Haley as new offensive coordinator should breathe new life into passing and rushing attacks that had become predictable under Bruce Arians.

However, these changes will also mean that some players may not have the kind of success they had in 2011 or that they were expected to have in 2012.

In the following slides, I take a look at four Steelers who may show signs of regressing this season.

WR Antonio Brown

Wide receiver Antonio Brown benefited from the element of surprise last season. Taking over for the oft-injured Emmanuel Sanders, Brown managed to put up 1,108 yards on 69 receptions, good for two touchdowns. 

He was one of two Steelers receivers with over 1,000 receiving yards—Mike Wallace being the other—and he's primed yet again to have quite the impressive season now that Todd Haley and his field-stretching passing game will be the order of the day.

Last year, Brown was able to get as many targets as he did because opposing defenses were more interested in shutting down the seemingly more-explosive Wallace. But this year, defenses will be prepared for both of them. 

Brown's sure hands and quickness make him a major threat to even the most skilled secondaries, which means more resources will be committed to him this year. As such, Brown could end the year with fewer receptions and yards, though likely through no fault of his (or quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's) own.

RB Isaac Redman

While usual Steelers starting running back Rashard Mendenhall is still holding out hope that he'll be recovered enough from his January ACL tear to take the field come Week 1, it's simply not all that likely.

Instead, it will be Isaac Redman who is probable to get the nod as the Steelers' go-to back when the season commences.

The last two seasons, Redman has played second fiddle to Mendenhall—in 2010 and 2011 Redman had just 162 carries to Mendenhall's 552—but has posted a better yards-per-carry average. There's a reason, however, that Redman has been the Steelers' No. 2 back, despite his propensity to flash some serious talent—he's not technically an every-down back.

This year, that's just what he'll have to be. Redman's presence on the field will no longer throw opposing defenses off guard, considering they'll be expecting him to get the carry if he's the lone back on the field. 

As a result, look for his yards per carry to drop some, even if he becomes more effective overall with more carries.

He should have an uptick in receiving yards and scores, considering the Todd Haley propensity to throw more to the backs, which should make up for this somewhat. But when it comes to Redman's bread and butter—carrying the ball—he may have some trouble as the Steelers' go-to back.

SS Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu is one of the best safeties to ever play the professional game, but that doesn't mean he's immune to the effects of age. All the greats in the NFL eventually age a little, suffer one too many injuries and lose a step, meaning their effectiveness drops off.

Polamalu is now 31 years old, which isn't that old at all, but the intensity in which he plays his position makes him more prone to injury, which cuts into the longevity of his career.

Polamalu's 2011 wasn't so bad. He had 91 total tackles, one sack, a fumble recovery and two interceptions (in a down year for picks for the entire Steelers' defense). It was his best season in every way but interceptions since 2005 and a year in which he stayed fairly healthy throughout.

But it's hard to predict whether it will be a boom year for Polamalu in 2012. The interception problems shouldn't plague Pittsburgh as they did last year, but with every passing year, Polamalu's legendary speed tempers some, which could result in a bit of a downturn for the someday Hall of Famer.

TE Heath Miller

New Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley is a fan of receiving tight ends, which, on paper, makes it seem that Heath Miller is primed for a breakout season.

However, that's not necessarily the case. Miller's prime effectiveness is in the pass when it comes to being a receiver—now he's a far more effective blocker. And the Steelers brought on former Kansas City Chief and Arizona Cardinal (and thus, a Haley favorite) Leonard Pope in the offseason.

If Haley has his way, his two-tight end sets will have more passes going Pope's way than Miller's. And once the suspended Weslye Saunders returns, Miller's targets could decrease even further depending on what Haley has planned.

Last year, Miller caught 51 passes for 631 yards and two scores. This season, he may still be a strong red-zone option for Ben Roethlisberger, but his overall number of targets should be cut back, resulting in Miller making less of an impact.

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