Super Bowl Predictions: 10 Reasons the Pittsburgh Steelers Will Win It All

Excitement is in the air as the NFL Playoffs are set to kick off this weekend. With 12 teams playing for one ultimate goal, it is anyone's guess which team will be crowned Super Bowl Champs when it is all said and done.

While the New England Patriots have been a popular Super Bowl pick heading into the postseason, not many people are talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were one of the NFL's hottest teams at the end of the regular season.

Locking up a first-round bye and home field advantage up until the AFC Championship game, the Steelers should not be overlooked as a Super Bowl favorite. Not to mention they have won the NFL's biggest game two of the past five years.

Here are 10 reasons why the Pittsburgh Steelers will win it all again this year.

10. Strong Finish

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CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 02: Wide receiver Hines Ward #86 of the Pittsburgh Steelers catches a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Steelers closed out the regular season with back-to-back victories over Carolina and Cleveland by a combined score of 68-12. They went 6-1 over the last seven games, including a road victory at Baltimore.

Mike Tomlin's club is playing great football heading into the playoffs, which is a good sign. If they continue to play at a high level like they have towards the end of the season, Pittsburgh has a very good chance to get back to the big game this year.

9. Coach Knows How To Win

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Mike Tomlin head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Pittsburgh won 13-10. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images

Since taking over the head coaching position in 2007, Mike Tomlin has a combined 43-21 record, including three division titles and a Super Bowl victory in 2008.

Tomlin has already been named the NFL's Coach of the Year, and he became the youngest coach in NFL history to win the Super Bowl when the Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. He is a proven winner who knows how to prepare his team for the NFL's biggest stage.

8. Made for the Postseason

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CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 02: Runningback Rashard Mendenhall #34 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Steelers have everything you want with a team when it comes postseason time. They have experience, they have depth on both sides of ball, and they know how to play in this type of environment.

The Steelers strive to get back to the Super Bowl every year, but unlike many teams, they know exactly what it takes and possess what it takes to get there. Every team in the playoffs is talented, but Pittsburgh has all those small intangibles that always make them dangerous come playoff time.

7. Following Suit

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BALTIMORE, MD - DECEMBER 05: Wide receiver Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball against linebacker Ray Lewis #52 and safety Dawan Landry #26 of the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on December 5, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Pi

The Steelers had an outstanding regular season, finishing with a 12-4 record and taking home first place in the AFC North.

They have beat every team that they were supposed to in the regular season, with all four of their losses coming against other AFC playoff teams. Of those four loses, New England was the only team that beat Pittsburgh by more then 10 points.

The Steelers have have had their fair share of signature wins this season with victories over the likes of Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

6. Strong On Both Ends

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PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 14: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown under pressure from Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 14, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images

The Steelers very well could be the most balanced team in all of football. The defense continues to be strong every year, which was the case again this season, and the offense has been exceptional at times this year.

On the defensive end, the Steelers have held opponents to under 20 points in 11 of their 16 games. Troy Polamalu is back and healthy, and their line-backing core is the deepest of any team around.

On the offensive end, Ben Roethlisberger is playing outstanding football, and the running game continues to be solid. Mike Wallace has developed into one of the top deep threats in the NFL, giving the Steelers yet another explosive option on offense.

5. Healthy On Defense

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CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 02: Defenders Larry Foote #50, Lawrence Timmons #94 and James Harrison #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tackle tailback Peyton Hillis #40 of the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on January 2, 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio. (P

The Steelers are finally healthy on the defensive end, which should make life miserable for opposing offenses. When healthy, the Steelers are consistently one of the top defenses in the league with their hard-nosed style of play.

Troy Polamalu is one of the top safeties in the game, and guys like James Harrison, Lamar Woodley and Lawrence Timmons make up arguably the best linebacker crew in the NFL.

While the offense has shown signs of greatness this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers success starts and ends with the play of their defense. It won them a Super Bowl in 2008, and very well could lead them back to the big game this year.

4. Big Ben

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 19: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops back to pass against the New York Jets during the game on December 19, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Ben Roethlisberger very well could be playing the best football of his career right now heading into the postseason.

After being suspended for the first four games of the season, Roethlisberger has come back and answered in a big way. He has passed for more then 250 yards in nine of his 12 games played this season and hasn't thrown an interception in his last 158 pass attempts, the longest streak of his career.

In addition to his outstanding passing numbers, Roethlisberger has also been taking fewer sacks this season, dropping from nearly 3.4 last year to 2.67 this season. With the always solid play of Hines Ward and the emergence of Mike Wallace, Roethlisberger has everything he needs to lead a successful offense back to the biggest stage.

3. Winning Tradition

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Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis celebrates with the Super Bowl Trophy after winning Super Bowl XL between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on February 5, 2006. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Winning has become a staple of the Steelers organization over the past decade, and this year is no different.

The Steelers were a winning franchise in the Franco Harris days, in the Jerome Bettis and Kevin Greene days, and now in current day as well. They have won the Super Bowl two of the past five years, so winning is expected of this organization, and the players seem to be content with those high expectations.

Anything less than a Super Bowl is considered a bust. The players are well aware of that and will do whatever they can to bring home some hardware this postseason.

2. Balance on Offense

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PITTSBURGH - DECEMBER 23: Mike Wallace #17 of the Pittsburgh Steelers attempts to break a tackle after catching a pass against the Carolina Panthers during the game on December 23, 2010 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jared Wickerh

In order to win a championship, a team has to be balanced on the offense side of the ball, which is exactly what the Steelers are. They are a run-first team when playing ahead, but Roethlisberger has the ability to sling it across the field when needed.

They are solid at every offensive position and have shown that they can beat you with both the run and the pass. It is very difficult for any defense to prepare for an offense that is as multidimensional as the Steelers is right now.

1. They Have Been There Before...And Won

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TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy after they won 27-23 the Arizona Cardinals during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Flor

The Steelers have been there before with this group and won on the biggest stage with this group.

This team has shown time and time again that they know what it takes to get to the Super Bowl and win the big game. They finished 12-4 this season, which was the same record they entered the 2008 postseason with, which resulted in a Super Bowl victory.

At this stage, every team is good, and every team wants to get there. But it is those teams that have been there before that have an advantage. The Steelers have been there, know what it takes, and will do it again in 2011.