5 Predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers' Second Half of 2014 Season

The first half of the 2014 NFL season is in the books, and it has been eight weeks of ebb and flow for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

An NFL season is a war of attrition—it is never about how you start but always about how you finish.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, there are some arrows trending up for Pittsburgh. Expectations are high as a result.

What can we expect?

How about some bold predictions, and some not-so-bold predictions, for the second half of the season?

All stats unless specified are courtesy of NFL.com.

The Pass Rush Finishes Strong

David Richard/Associated Press

Over the past two games, the Steelers have finally started to show real growth when it comes to rushing the passer.

Against the Houston Texans, the Steelers hit or sacked quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick six times. Then, against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh hit or sacked Luck nine times.

How did they do it?

In part, the players on the field are simply putting out more effort. It is remarkable that veterans like defensive end Brett Keisel and linebacker James Harrison are leading the charge for all these young players.

In addition to just great individual effort, it has been aggressive fronts and winning the numbers game that has helped as well.

This sort of defensive philosophy sort of flies in the face of tradition when you have a team that has questionable talent in the secondary. Nevertheless, the Steelers are pressing the issue up front.

Aside from some chunk plays in the passing game, it is really paying off. 

Cortez Allen Wins His Starting Job Back

Don Wright/Associated Press

During Sunday’s game with the Colts, head coach Mike Tomlin made the decision to bench cornerback Cortez Allen in favor of backup Antwon Blake.

Blake promptly responded with a pivotal interception that ultimately decided the game.

Since Sunday’s contest, Tomlin has come out per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and said that Allen will have to earn his way back into a role.

I didn’t say a starting role. I said role.

If his week of practice mirrors what last week’s film showed, Allen, who has started all six games this season, will presumably be inactive.

However, Allen will win that starting job back, and probably in the next couple of weeks.

Yes, his play against the Colts was deplorable, but the entire secondary struggled.

As much as everyone wants to think that this group minus Allen can get it done, I just don’t see it. Allen isn’t getting traded, and he isn’t staying benched. 

Martavis Bryant Starts at Wide Receiver

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Hindsight can be a dangerous thing. You never want to look back too much in the NFL. The season is so short, you have to just keep your eyes forward.

Having said that, you cannot look at what rookie wide receiver Martavis Bryant has done over the past two weeks and not wonder what could have been in the team's three losses.

Moving forward, it looks like Bryant's role will continue to expand as long as he keeps doing what he’s been doing.

What he has been doing is giving Pittsburgh both a big, deep threat as well as a viable red-zone weapon.

With the inconsistent play of Markus Wheaton, it won’t be long before Bryant is taking his snaps. 

Le'Veon Bell Will Top 2,000 Yards of Total Offense

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

As of the end of Week 8, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is averaging 135.75 yards per game rushing and receiving.

Bell has proven to be nearly as deadly as a receiver as he is as a runner. Steelers PR manager Dom Rinelli put this tweet out about what Bell has accomplished this season.

If you crunch the numbers, you see that Bell is on pace for 2,172 yards.

This would put his 2014 campaign among the very best in franchise history. The question is whether or not Bell can maintain this sort of pace.

The ratio of rushing and receiving yards is going to vary from one week to the next, but those 22.8 touches per game will not go away. 

Pittsburgh Will Sweep the Cincinnati Bengals

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I decided to save the boldest of the bold for the end.

If Pittsburgh can keep the AFC North race close, they can seal the deal with two of their final four games of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati currently holds a slim half-game lead in the division because of that silly tie they got against the Carolina Panthers.

How can I be so bold? Because these are teams heading in opposite directions.

Pittsburgh’s offense is picking up steam and by late fall is going to be all but impossible to shut down.

Meanwhile, the Bengals defense is currently giving up 400 yards of offense per game.

More importantly, the Steelers appear to be jelling between personnel and coaching staff. Once they can finalize that cohesion, this team will recognize the importance of getting those AFC North wins.

Pittsburgh gets the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs in between the games against Cincinnati. This will give them an even greater opportunity to rally this team to a strong finish that includes a sweep of the Bengals.