Steelers' Keys to Success in 2021 NFL Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter 2021 as one of the NFL's biggest wild cards. 

After starting last season 11-0, they finished with losses in five of their last six games, including a 48-37 defeat in the playoffs to the Cleveland Browns. 

So, the team walked into the offseason with plenty of questions, but things haven't turned out as poorly as they could.

Ben Roethlisberger is back as the team's quarterback, meaning the search for his eventual replacement is off until at least 2022. The team was also limited with options in free agency, but it was able to keep some free agents it wasn't expected to keep, such as JuJu Smith-Schuster. 

In short, the Steelers could win the division and it wouldn't be a shock. There's a universe in which they let the Ravens and Browns know they are still on top of the division. It's also not hard to imagine a world in which they don't make the playoffs at all. 

Here's a look at three keys to Pittsburgh unlocking that first scenario and making a playoff run.

Najee Harris Must Be Special

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The Steelers turned some heads when they used the 24th pick on Alabama running back Najee Harris. In today's NFL, it's a bit controversial to use a first-round pick on a running back, but they had to do something drastic to fix a run game that was the worst in the league. 

Among the issues Pittsburgh faced last season, the lack of a run game may have been the worst. The team did not have a 100-yard rusher after Week 6 and had the league's second-most lopsided run-to-pass ratio (the hapless Jags were worse). 

With limited cash, the two biggest moves the Steelers made to remedy things were to move Matt Canada to offensive coordinator and draft Harris. 

From the outset of the offseason, Canada hasn't shied away from Harris playing a major role in Year 1. 

"Matchups are the key to football, and what Najee can do in a game at receiver is something we are very excited about," he told reporters in June. "I think he's going to have a tremendous season and a tremendous career because of his skill set, his work ethic and his football intelligence."

Roethlisberger is still capable of playing at a high level, but the 39-year-old isn't good enough to be the Steelers' only option. The offense must strike a balance this season, and a lot of that is going to fall squarely on the shoulders of the big back from Alabama. 

Big Steps Forward for Both Tackles

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Complicating the growth of the run game further was the play of the offensive line last season. 

The unit finished 31st in run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. The only player on that line who finished with a run-blocking grade near average was veteran tackle Alejandro Villanueva. He will now be the starting right tackle in Baltimore. 

The Steelers' financial situation showed up most evidently in the offensive line. Villanueva and Matt Feiler walked in free agency, Maurkice Pouncey retired and David DeCastro was cut. 

With little to no money to spend and the first pick used to take Harris, the Steelers really didn't add any blue-chip talent. Instead, they will look for massive steps forward in the development of Chukwuma Okorafor and Zach Banner. 

Okorafor started at right tackle last season but was graded 70th at the position by PFF, while Banner is in his fourth season and has yet to log more than 216 snaps in his career. The next man up might be Dan Moore, a fourth-round pick in last year's draft who had a nice preseason but isn't ready to be a starter just yet. 

Both Okorafor and Banner will have to play much better than expected to open up lanes for Harris and keep Roethlisberger upright and healthy. 

Secondary Can't Miss a Step

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The Steelers will be fine in the front seven. T.J. Watt returns as one of the best edge defenders in all of football. Pittsburgh was its usual, aggressive self and led the league in sacks last season, spearheaded by his efforts. 

They lost Bud Dupree in the offseason, but the Steelers have been developing pass-rushers for years. It will be a "next man up" mentality with Alex Highsmith, and the scheme will create pressure.

The only concern on the defensive side of the ball should be on the back end. That's where they experienced some losses that could hurt. 

Last season, the unit was No. 1 in interceptions (18), passes defended (84) and passer rating allowed (76.7). It doesn't get more dominant than that. 

However, they've lost Mike Hilton (three interceptions, seven passes defended) and Steven Nelson (two interceptions, nine passes defended), both of whom played big roles last season. 

There are still plenty of playmakers. Minkah Fitzpatrick remains a terrific ball-hawking safety, and Terrell Edmunds can be a playmaker as well. But Joe Haden is going to have to continue to give great production at 32 years old, James Pierre will have to perform well stepping into a larger role, and Cameron Sutton will need to hold down the slot. 

Year-to-year play can be volatile for cornerbacks to begin with. The Steelers will need to continue to be dominant on the back end to once again have one of the league's best defenses.