Pittsburgh Steelers Need To Answer Questions As 2010 Season Opener Nears
Coming off a 9-7 season in which they missed the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty of questions entering the offseason.
Throughout the course of training camp and the preseason, many of these questions were answered.
This year’s draft class stepped up, with all but two players making the active roster (Doug Worthington is on the practice squad and Chris Scott is on the physically unable to perform list).
Not only did these players make the roster, but there are expected to be several that will contribute, which will make team president Art Rooney II happy, as he wanted the team to get its young players on the field quicker.
Maurkice Pouncey won the starting center job and will be the first rookie Week 1 starter in the Mike Tomlin era.
Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown are both expected to impact the return game and could see contributions in the offense as the season progresses.
Beyond the rookie class, Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith have showed no signs of injuries suffered last season.
Pittsburgh also found a quality running back behind Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore in Isaac Redman.
A star of last year’s training camp, Redman got even better this season and looks to be the short yardage back that the Steelers need.
However, questions about the running game and other areas still remain unresolved.
Commitment to the Running Game?
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Pittsburgh did not show a true recommitment to the ground game as was talked about all offseason.
It was clear that they were not going to run the ball as they did under Bill Cowher, but instead they were going to focus their efforts in short yardage and red zone situations as well as running the ball better in the fourth quarter.
Instead, there was more passing and rolling out the quarterback in these scenarios rather than trying to pound the ball up the middle to pick up the yards.
The lack of commitment to the running game may come back and hurt the Steelers over the first four weeks as anticipated starter Byron Leftwich is out.
It could also have a negative impact on the Steelers aging defense. Though they are still talented, it is an attacking defense that needs to be fresh when on the field to achieve its fullest potential.
Quarterback Derby
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The already murky quarterback situation became even murkier when Leftwich left Thursday night’s game with a leg injury resulting in him missing the first two to four weeks of the season.
The possible starter for the season opener will be Charlie Batch, who barely got any reps throughout training camp meaning Dennis Dixon would be providing a spark in special packages designed to use his athleticism if he is not named the starter.
However, Dixon did get first team reps on Monday and it should become evident by the middle of the week who the starter is.
Further problems could arise if the injury prone Batch gets banged up, leaving Dixon as the only healthy quarterback.
Pittsburgh will have to rely on a gameplan that utilizes both quarterback’s strengths as well as an array of quick passes and running the ball if they are to succeed early.
Offensive Line Questions
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While Pouncey has solidified the middle of the line, making the players around him better, the offensive line as a whole still needs to gel.
This is a given any time there is a new starter along the line, let alone two new starters.
Besides Pouncey, Pittsburgh will be starting Flozell Adams at right tackle.
After previously playing left tackle with Dallas, Adams has been working with right guard Trai Essex to learn the right side. As long as he can get his hands on a defender, Adams can still play at a high level.
However, Adams’ lack of quickness handicaps him against speed rushers, which could cause problems for the Steelers quarterbacks.
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No Cornerback Stepped Up
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Bryant McFadden was a welcomed addition back to the Steelers roster after receiving him in a draft day trade with Arizona.
Since being acquired, it was expected that McFadden would be an instant upgrade, but he has not exactly stood out, or has he played poorly. The expectations just cannot be too high.
Given McFadden’s injury, William Gay may actually be inserted into the starting lineup if he has to miss any playing time.
This may be an unwelcome sight to many Steelers fans, but second-year cornerback Keenan Lewis failed to take advantage of his playing time with the first team during the preseason.
Lewis has many of the tools necessary to be a successful cornerback in this league but he has yet to put it all together, and as a result has lacked consistency at the position.
Rookie Crezdon Butler actually flashed the most potential, but he is still a year or two away from moving up the depth chart.
Can the Defense Return to Its Dominating Form?
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While the Steelers defense is healthy once again, they did not look dominant in the preseason, particularly in the most important third preseason game against the Denver Broncos.
The first team defense allowed Kyle Orton to successfully move the ball on them. This does have to be taken in context since the Steelers have been playing a very vanilla defense.
Cornerback play and the lack of pass rush from James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley could be of some concern.
Typically defenses are ahead of offenses at this point of the season so the lack of production could be a worry. On the other hand, often times the players looked as though they were playing not to get hurt.
The defense will have to find themselves quickly given the Steelers' quarterback situation. They will be depended upon to carry the team to victories over the first four weeks.
Ziggy Hood Is MIA
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Ziggy Hood, last year’s first round draft selection, was expected to make a big impact this year, possibly even taking over for Brett Keisel as starting defensive end.
Hood did not disappoint during camp, looking like the most dominating player on the field.
Then the games started and Hood disappeared, making no major visible impact on the game.
Often times, accomplishments from Steelers' defensive ends can go unnoticed, but given what a disruptive force Hood was in practice, the lack of plays he made in the preseason does raise some concerns.
Still No “Special” in Special Teams
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Short kickoffs and long returns—the special teams unit is already in midseason form.
The Steelers brought in a new special teams coordinator and so far the results have been much of the same.
The coverage units have allowed long returns on both kickoffs and punts. Jeff Reed and Daniel Sepulveda each had to make at least one attempt to tackle the returner.
To attempt avoiding long returns as a result of short kickoffs, the Steelers tried using Sepulveda on kickoff duties without much success.
The return game has not been much better.
Logan did not show the same abilities that he did last year, which resulted in him being released.
Neither Sanders nor Brown have stood out either, but they can at least contribute offensively.
However, there is a possibility that these units improve as they will be filled with NFL players come Week 1, not roster fillers.
Overview
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Despite these questions, the Steelers look to be an improved team, especially when Ben Roethlisberger returns in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.
The team has a nice mix of veterans and youth and is very deep in most positions, particularly linebacker and receiver.
If the Steelers can go at least 2-2 to begin the season, they will set themselves up for a nice run, which could mean a return trip to the playoffs.
The two key matchups will be against the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.
But for Pittsburgh to be successful, they will have to answer some of the questions on the field. If they can do so, it may mean another AFC North crown for the Steelers.
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