5 Biggest Obstacles Facing Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015

The Pittsburgh Steelers will enter the 2015 season with a huge target on their backs following a division championship last season.

The three remaining teams in the AFC North will have their eyes set on the Steelers as they look to knock off the defending champions. However, that will not be an easy task, as Pittsburgh’s front office has assembled a talented roster that expects to win more than a division title this season.

A talented offense along with a defense loaded with potential has set the expectations high in Pittsburgh. While all eyes will be focused on how the offense can improve, head coach Mike Tomlin has his eyes set on the big picture, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com:

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Why can’t we get better in all areas? Not only offensively but defensively and special teams. It’s amazing how we as humans are capable of limiting…just simply because we set parameters on our own expectations. I try to consciously not do that. What areas can we not get better in? That needs to be our mentality and hopefully it will be.

"

While Tomlin may not set parameters for the team, there are numerous obstacles that may impede the Steelers from achieving their goals. Whether it is their daunting schedule, implementing a new scheme or their personnel, winning a second-straight division title will not be easy.

From the minor speed bumps to the major hurdles, here are five obstacles that the Steelers must overcome to win the division in 2015.

5. Consistency from the Offense

Associated Press

Todd Haley wants the offense to perform better in the red zone this season.

The Steelers had the most prolific offensive season in team history in 2014. Not only did they break the record for total yards in a season (6,577), but they set the franchise record with 436 points scored.

The belief in Pittsburgh is that the offense will be even better in 2015, as every starter returns to the lineup. This includes a number of talented young playmakers—Le’Veon Bell, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton—who have yet to hit their peak.

Even with the talent in place, there is always a possibility that the offense doesn’t take that next step or even regresses. The team cannot be content with what they have already achieved and just assume that the offense will automatically get better.

“You think we had a good season, it’s going to happen every year. That’s not the case,” left guard Ramon Foster told Scott Brown of ESPN.com in January. “It’s going to be the leaders that have to let them understand that they can’t get complacent. We have to work to get better.

“A lot of guys grew up this year, and I’m happy to see that. We’ve got coaches in place, we don’t have to go searching for certain guys and worry about that so as far as the offense as a whole we should be better.”

Although the Steelers set a team record in points scored, the offense still could develop more consistency in terms of scoring. A three-game stretch in the middle of the season in which the offense exploded for 124 points represented 28.4 percent of their overall points in 2014.

That is not to say those points should not count, but rather they provided the entire league a look at how dominant this offense can be. To be even better in 2015 (ranked 19th in red-zone efficiency last season), offensive coordinator Todd Haley wants a more efficient red-zone offense.

“When we get in tight, when football gets tough, we have to get the ball in the end zone whether it’s running or throwing,” Haley told Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

A consistent effort in this area of the field will allow an already good offense to develop into possibly the best in the NFL.

4. Toughest Schedule in the NFL

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

The Steelers performed well against teams that made the playoffs last season.

Winning a division title is both a blessing and a curse.

The immediate return is a blessing, as it guarantees a team a home game in the playoffs. However, the next season sets the team up for a first-place schedule.

Not only did the Steelers get a first-place schedule by virtue of winning the AFC North, but they also got the toughest strength of schedule (.579) in the entire NFL, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com:

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Based on 2014 records, the Steelers will play the toughest schedule in the NFL next season. The Steelers will play a total of nine games against 2014 playoff teams, plus games against the Chiefs and Chargers, who both finished with winning records, but didn't make the playoffs.

That means the Steelers will play 11 games next season against teams who finished 2014 with a winning record. Again, the Falcons will only have to play four.

"

While some will dismiss the strength of schedule as a factor since teams change from year to year, Breech pointed out that it does carry some weight:

It probably does if you ask the Raiders. Going into the 2014 season, the Raiders were slated to have the toughest strength of schedule based on their opponents' combined 2013 record of 148-108, a winning percentage of .578.

After all 256 regular season games were played, it turned out that the Raiders did have the toughest strength of schedule (their opponents combined to go 146-110) and Oakland finished 3-13. Although this is the Raiders we're talking about, so it's possible they would have gone 3-13 with the easiest schedule.

While some would look at a tough schedule as a detriment, the Steelers may actually view it as an advantage. In 2014, they finished 4-1 against playoff teams during the regular season and four of their five losses came against teams that finished below .500.

The Steelers have also proven that they are capable of overcoming a tough schedule before.

Entering the 2008 season, the Steelers faced the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL. That also happened to be the same year they won an NFL record sixth Super Bowl championship.

3. Life Without Le’Veon

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Le'Veon Bell is expected to miss the first three regular season games due to a suspension.

Although he has only played for two seasons, Le’Veon Bell already has established himself as one of the best running backs in the game—and one of the most important players on the Steelers’ roster.

Bell’s teammates recognized his efforts last year when they voted him team MVP following a season in which he gained 2,215 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. In just one offseason, Bell transformed himself into one of the most dangerous offensive threats in the NFL.

The Steelers will rely on Bell once again in 2015, but they will have to survive without him for the first three games of the season as he serves a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Loaded with talent, the Steelers still have enough firepower to win games without Bell, but the entire dynamic of the offense will change.

Bell is an all-purpose back with the ability to not only carry the ball but also contribute as a receiver and blocker. Todd Haley will do his best to utilize DeAngelo Williams and Josh Harris, but they cannot replicate what Bell can do with the ball in his hands.

Rather than rely on the ground game, the Steelers will likely put the team on Ben Roethlisberger’s back and let him sling the ball all over the field. That should sit well with Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton.

Even in the hands of Roethlisberger, the Steelers will still have their work cut out. They are 19-10 with Bell in the lineup and 0-4 without him, and the early-season schedule will present some challenges.

The Steelers will open the season in New England against the Patriots—a team they have struggled against—before coming home to play the San Francisco 49ers. The third game is in St. Louis where they will face a Rams defense that boasts an outstanding defensive line that can rush the passer.

A slow start for the Steelers could derail the season before they get to the challenging portion of their schedule. Ideally, they will win two of the first three before Bell returns to the lineup, or they will hope that his suspension is reduced to two games.

The Steelers offense will not hit on all cylinders until Bell is back in the lineup and until he returns, they may run a one-dimensional look led by Roethlisberger.

2. Road Trips to the West

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers have struggled when traveling outside of the Eastern Time Zone.

When it comes to their 2015 schedule, the Steelers got a double whammy.

Not only do they face the toughest strength of schedule in the NFL, but they also are matched up against the AFC West and NFC West. That means trips outside of the Eastern Time Zone.

Is this a big deal? According to Ian McBlogger of The Steelers N’at, it is a very big deal: “It matters because under Mike Tomlin the Steelers have inexplicably bad splits between their records in Eastern Time and outside of Eastern Time. “

In Eastern Time, the Steelers are 80-33 (.708) compared to 7-16 (.304) in all other time zones and the further west they go, the worse they are. Tomlin is 5-8 in Central Time, 2-4 in Mountain Time and 0-3 in Pacific Time—they are also 0-1 in London.

With four games outside of the Eastern Time Zone—St. Louis (CST), San Diego (PST), Kansas City(CST) and Seattle (PST)—the Steelers could be looking at three or four losses based solely on location. Granted, the quality of the team must be taken into consideration as well, but there is a clear trend.

The travel outside of the Eastern Time Zone may present the most daunting task on the 2015 schedule, but it is one that Tomlin and the Steelers must overcome if they want to challenge for the top seed in the AFC.

1. Inexperience on Defense

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Keith Butler will use a number of inexperienced players on defense.

As talented as the Steelers are on offense, they will not be able to navigate a tough schedule alone. The defense must step up to set Pittsburgh up for a deep run in the playoffs.

Unlike last season when the Steelers faced quarterbacks such as Brian Hoyer, Mike Glennon, Blake Bortles, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Zach Mettenberger, they will match up against a much more challenging set of signal callers.

This group includes Colin Kaepernick, Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning. That will put first-year defensive coordinator Keith Butler and an inexperienced defense to the test.

There is always a time for fresh faces and new ideas in the NFL and that is exactly what the Steelers are getting this year. However, this also comes with a significant loss of leadership, as Dick LeBeau is gone, as is Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and Brett Keisel.

Those four figures were key members of the Super Bowl teams and will be tough to replace in the locker room but not necessarily on the field. Along with Butler running the defense, the Steelers will employ several young players in the starting lineup.

Stephon Tuitt will look to build upon his rookie season to help provide an anchor along the defensive line and free up space for young linebackers Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree.

However, the biggest area of concern is also arguably the weakest area of the team—the secondary. Shamarko Thomas will step in for Troy Polamalu, while rookies Senquez Golson and Doran Grant will compete for playing time at cornerback.

The Steelers do not need a shutdown defense in place for this season, but they do need to see progress from their young defenders. According to Ryan Wilson of CBSSports.com, that should be enough for Pittsburgh to contend:

"But the idea of a great offense coupled with a middling defense seems like a reasonable starting point for success in the salary-cap era, where resources are scarce and have to be allocated with precision.”

The talent is in place for the Steelers to have a solid rush defense as they wait for the pass rush and secondary to improve. Whether the young, inexperienced defenders can put it together to compete against such a challenging schedule remains the biggest obstacle that they must overcome in 2015.

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

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