Full Stat Predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers' Top Offensive, Defensive Starters

Football is the ultimate team game, and general manager Kevin Colbert has assembled a strong roster to compete in 2015.

However, even a team sport needs a strong performance from individuals to have a successful year. That means the Pittsburgh Steelers need their offensive and defensive stars to shine if they want to make a return trip to the playoffs.

There shouldn’t be much of a problem with the offense as offensive coordinator Todd Haley has helped mastermind one of the best NFL units. Of course, having the trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell certainly helps.

The opposite is true on defense, where first-year defensive coordinator Keith Butler must construct his system around a young and unproven defense. There is plenty of potential on this side of the ball, but not enough production.

Training camp will provide everyone a taste of what to expect from the Steelers in 2015, but until then, we will predict how the top players on the roster will statistically perform this season. 

Ben Roethlisberger

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 5,040 yards, 36 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 67.4 percent completion

Equipped with arguably the best supporting cast of his career, Ben Roethlisberger is set for another career year in 2015.

Not only is Roethlisberger surrounded by some of the best weapons in the entire league, but he also has an improved offensive line in front of him. However, it takes more than just talent to put together a successful attack, and that is where Todd Haley’s scheme comes into play.

Over the past few seasons, Haley’s offensive scheme has evolved and now takes full advantage of Pittsburgh’s personnel—and Roethlisberger is completely on-board.

Rather than just take direction from the sidelines, Roethlisberger has taken on a greater leadership role and is helping to coach his teammates.

“It's fun because I can tell the guys what I want on the field, and they are going to listen because we all want to be the best we can be and help each other win,” Roethlisberger told Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I am just happy to have the coach's blessing to be able to do that and not stepping on anybody's toes.”

By taking a greater ownership in the offense, Roethlisberger will do a better job getting his players where he wants them to be. This will be particularly important as he continues to integrate Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton in the passing game.

Roethlisberger’s command of the offense will show in his overall performance as he improves upon his outstanding 2014 campaign.

Le'Veon Bell

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 234 Carries, 1,105 yards, 58 receptions, 580 yards, 11 touchdowns

There was little doubt that Le’Veon Bell would one day develop into a quality back. However, no one knew how fast his ascent to the top of the league would be.

Amassing over 2,000 yards of total offseason last season, Bell quickly established himself as one of the top NFL running backs. His offseason-training regime paid off as his physical skills now matched up with the mental aspect of his game.

Bell finished the year with 1,361 rushing yards, 854 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as he was named the Most Improved Player of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Besides his natural progression as a runner, Bell could also thank the improved play of the offensive line. Under new coach Mike Munchak, the line made great strides last season and should be even better with all five starters returning for 2015.

A strong presence in the trenches as well as a plethora of outside receiving options will set Bell up for an even bigger year this season, however, it will be nearly impossible for him to have a repeat season.

Bell will miss the first three games of the season—pending an appeal—as the result of a marijuana arrest last year. With only 13 games, he would have to put up monster numbers every week to improve upon his 2014 statistics.

Rather than run the wheels off Bell, the coaching staff will likely ease his load with the involvement of DeAngelo Williams and Josh Harris in the offense.

Even so, expect Bell to have a big year once he gets back on the field and should once again be one of the most productive NFL running backs.

Antonio Brown

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 118 receptions, 1,582 yards, 12 touchdowns

Antonio Brown shattered Pittsburgh’s record books last season as he set a team record for receptions (129), receiving yards (1,698) and receiving touchdowns (13).

Brown’s records didn’t stop there as he broke the world record this offseason by catching a football dropped from 360 feet in the air in a segment for ESPN’s Sports Science.

Although that last record didn’t matter, it once again shows how talented the 26-year-old receiver is, and he will once again try to surpass his own team records in 2015.

Unlike last season when Brown was the clear-cut top option for Roethlisberger and the Steelers were without an established No. 2, Pittsburgh has a couple of options to fill that role this year.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com, Bryant and Wheaton have developed to the point that either player could grab ahold of the second spot on the depth chart:

"

Watching a dozen offseason workouts was enough to convince the Pittsburgh Steelers that they have a legitimate No. 2 receiver on their roster to pair with Antonio Brown.

In fact, they might have two: A No. 2 and a No. 2A.

Drawing sweeping conclusions from a month of workouts in shorts with no hitting paints an incomplete picture. But Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton are both aiming for the No. 2 spot, Bryant in particular.

"

More opportunities for these two receivers—plus rookie Sammie Coates—the less there will be for Brown. That doesn’t mean he will see a steep drop-off in production, but rather a slight dip. Plus, we all know he is guaranteed at least five receptions for 50 yards every week, right?

Martavis Bryant

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 56 receptions, 1,036 yards, 12 touchdowns

Martavis Bryant burst onto the scene last season and has the potential to develop into one of the best deep threats in the league this year.

Despite catching only 26 passes—in just 10 games—as a rookie, Bryant tied for 18th in the NFL with eight touchdowns. His 21.1 yards per reception led all receivers on the team, and his 94-yard touchdown reception was the longest of 2014.

Bryant spent this offseason adding weight and refining his ability as a route-runner. Now entering his second season, he feels more confident as he has a better understanding of the physical and mental expectations of professional receivers.

“It’s a lot easier because I’m in shape,” Bryant told Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I don’t have to think like I did last year. I’m not stressing about learning the plays. Everything is slower for me. I don’t have to do a lot of thinking. Now it’s about going out, playing, performing and having fun with it.”

The Steelers have had success over the years of developing receivers, and they often take a sizeable jump in year two. Mike Wallace made the jump, as did Antonio Brown and Markus Wheaton. Bryant is the next receiver in line for a large role and should put up some impressive numbers in his second season.

Cameron Heyward

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 66 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

As each of Pittsburgh’s longtime defensive leaders retired, it was only a matter of time before a young defender stepped into that role.

Not only will Cam Heyward take over as the vocal leader of the defense, but he will also be one of the top defenders on the roster. Coming off the best season of his career, he could be in for an even bigger year as the defense implements new wrinkles under Keith Butler.

One of those new wrinkles could include using the defensive linemen more to rush the quarterback, according to Dejan Kovacevic of DKonPittsburghSports.com. That would be good news for Heyward, who tied for the team lead with 7.5 sacks last season.

The Steelers need production from their defensive linemen this year as their young linebackers continue to develop. That production will start with Heyward, who will have a chance to establish himself as one of the top 3-4 defensive ends by the end of the season.

Lawrence Timmons

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 128 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 interception

Lawrence Timmons has played with a lot of talented linebackers over the course of his career, but now he is at the top of the heap and has to lead a young core of players into the season.

Before the end of the season, there is potential that four former first-round draft picks will be on the field at once—three of which have fewer than three full years of experience. That places a heavy onus on Timmons to produce.

That should not be much of a problem as Timmons is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance after a 132 tackle and 2.0 sack season. He should have more help on the inside, with a healthy and more experienced Ryan Shazier.

Besides Shazier, the linebackers will potentially have a strong front three in front of them with Heyward, Steve McLendon and Stephon Tuitt. However, Dan McCullers will be the man who can occupy the most blockers when he is on the field.

Expect Keith Butler to be more aggressive with his defensive scheme, which should allow Timmons to once again put up strong numbers.

Ryan Shazier

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 110 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumble, 6 passes defended, 2 interceptions

Ryan Shazier wasted no time stepping into the starting lineup and looked as though he would be a stud scoring points during the preseason. Unfortunately, an injury-plagued rookie season held him back, and he will look to bounce back in year two.

"This is definitely a chance to wipe the slate and start off healthy and get back on point," Shazier told Chris Bradford of the Beaver County Times. "Last year, it was kind of a disappointment for me because I felt like I could have brought more to the team."

Shazier is an incredibly gifted athlete who is easily the fastest linebacker on the team with an unofficial 40-yard dash time of 4.36 seconds. Despite his speed, he had trouble shedding blocks and got washed out of some plays as a result.

Rather than try to come back for his second season and play the same way, Shazier spent time working out with James Harrison and other Steelers’ linebackers during the offseason, and Harrison was impressed:

“Right now, they’re stronger, they’re faster; even Shazier put on a little weight,” Harrison told Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m just leading them to the water; it’s up to them to drink.

Dulac added that Shazier added eight pounds through the lifting program as well as changes to his diet. The extra weight should help him as he takes on larger offensive players, but it still may not be as valuable as a better understanding of the defense.

Shazier has all of the talent in the world and can eventually develop into one of the best linebackers in the league. Expect him to begin to live up to his first-round draft status with a huge year.

Mike Mitchell

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Stat Projections: 78 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions

After one season, the Mike Mitchell signing was a bust for Kevin Colbert. He never showed signs of becoming a playmaker in the secondary. Instead, he was a liability in deep coverage and took a number of ill-advised penalties.

Part of Mitchell’s issue was an injured groin, but he wouldn’t use it as an excuse (via Scott Brown of ESPN.com):

“I hate that this is even a story,” Mitchell said in an interview with the NFL Network. “We all play hurt. Everyone on the team has injuries so I’m no different than any other player.”

“It would be like having the brakes on your car not be right,” Mitchell said. “I’m not making excuses; I’m not apologizing for anything. One thing we don’t do here in Pittsburgh is we don’t seek comfort. Everyone plays hurt.”

As he enters his second season in Pittsburgh, Mitchell’s health should be much better as well as his comfort level with the defense. And as odd as it sounds, he will benefit playing without Troy Polamalu.

It is difficult for anyone to step in and grasp a Dick LeBeau defense in year one, but having to cover for a freelancing Polamalu makes it even tougher.

Just when Mitchell thinks he knows what is going on, Polamalu could make a change, and that is not something a newly signed player would be used to. With Shamarko Thomas expected to take over for Polamalu, Mitchell will get the chance to play with a more traditional safety who will stick to the scheme.

Butler may even give Mitchell the chance to play near the line, which would suit his playing style well and maximize his production. Maybe he can develop into the playmaker Colbert envisioned when he signed Mitchell last year.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com and roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.  

Follow @ChrisG_BR