Keys to a Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Run

Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers have punched their ticket to the NFL playoffs, their focus now must be on making their way through a competitive AFC and returning to the Super Bowl. The Steelers have a long tradition of success, with six Lombardi Trophies to their credit.

However, in order to make a legitimate run at the Super Bowl, some of the guys who haven’t been pulling their weight during the season need to step up and have a real impact. Which players need to perform better in the playoffs? Read on and find out.

All stats and player data courtesy of NFL.com.

Dri Archer, RB

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All you had to do was watch last week’s game to understand the potential impact other teams believe Archer can have on a game. On one play in particular in Sunday’s game, Archer lined up in the backfield. At the snap, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looked immediately to the flat to dump it off to Archer and let him get the ball in space.

Instead, Roethlisberger had to go to his second read and complete a first-down throw to wide receiver Antonio Brown. This is significant because the reason Roethlisberger had to check out of his first read was due to the Kansas City Chiefs sending two defenders at Archer to cover the flat.

In fact, you only need to look at how the Chiefs used their own speedster, running back De’Anthony Thomas, to understand what could be with Archer. The Chiefs throw short to Thomas in the flats and let him make plays with the football in his hands. There is no reason that the Steelers cannot try something similar with Archer.

Brad Wing, P

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It might seem silly to include a punter on this list, but in the case of Steelers punter Brad Wing, it matters. Wing has been terribly inconsistent this season, booming a punt one time and shanking one the next.

Sunday’s game was a perfect example of this. Wing had two punts, both fairly deep in Steelers territory. The first punt went for a measly 34 yards, and everyone cringed. Then, later in the game, Wing came back out—and from nearly the exact same spot—and he boomed a 56-yard bomb.

He doesn't need to produce 56 yards on every punt, but in the playoffs, he needs to be closer to the player who averaged 47.5 yards per punt on six punts against the Cincinnati Bengals as opposed to the player who averaged 37.0 yards on four punts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mike Mitchell, S

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I tried to come up with something nice to say about safety Mike Mitchell’s first year with the Steelers, but the best I can come up with is his uniform fits pretty well. The Steelers acquired Mitchell—in the short run—to replace safety Ryan Clark, but his long-term role will likely be as safety Troy Polamalu’s replacement at strong safety.

Unfortunately, Mitchell has struggled all season with missed assignments, poor tackling and premature celebrations on plays that no one needs to cheer about. With Polamalu dinged up and very little talent left on the roster, the defensive secondary is going to count on Mitchell to play much better in the coming weeks. But, don't hold your breath.

Ryan Shazier, LB

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These last two will have a very familiar tone to them. Rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier has had a forgettable rookie season, largely due to missing all or part of half of the games this season; however, it seems he is healthy now, and he needs to do what was expected of him when he was taken in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

I know that defenders of the Steelers’ rookies point to the scheme that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau runs as a detriment to getting rookies on the field. That's poppycock. If what we are seeing this year is this hypercomplex defense then perhaps he needs to simplify things for everyone.

The best thing LeBeau can do is get Shazier on the field and get him some reps. The excessive rotations Sunday among Pittsburgh linebackers doesn’t lend itself to any inside linebacker getting any rhythm on defense.

Jarvis Jones, LB

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Like Shazier, linebacker Jarvis Jones has not lived up to his first-round expectations. Jones was drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft, after being one of the most productive and disruptive defensive players in all of college football. Tragically, Jones has provided almost no disruption during his time in Pittsburgh.

Again, there is the excuse about the defense; however, if your No. 1 priority is to beat a tackle or tight end off the edge and hit the quarterback, no amount of complicated scheme should impinge on that.

Unfortunately for Jones, he still has not gotten the hang of any semblance of pass-rush moves, and pairing that with subpar athleticism, the results are just disappointing.

As well as linebackers James Harrison and Jason Worilds have played, having a third playing in that rotation on the strong side could be the difference maker in the playoffs. Is it too soon to consider Jones a bust? Perhaps, but it is time for him to perform.