Sunday Debate: Pittsburgh Steelers Win the AFC in 2016
Brendan Pignataro and Mark Morales-Smith will be debating a different topic each Sunday. This week will feature a debate on on AFC Championship contenders. Will the Steelers or Patriots take the conference?
As I mentioned last week, the Denver Broncos had a historic defense last year. However, the Steelers were able to slaughter this Super Bowl winning defense with 34 points in the first of their two games in 2015. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that if Ben Roethlisberger was 100 percent healthy for their playoff matchup, the Steelers would be the reigning AFC Champions. Pittsburgh has gotten even better in the offseason, and should be the favorites to win the conference.
Related Story: Sunday Debate: Patriots Win the AFC in 2016
Of course everyone’s least popular debater and my colleague Mark is going with the New England Patriots as his choice to win the AFC. Sure, the Patriots will likely win their eighth straight AFC Championship, despite a possible four game suspension to Tom Brady. I won’t argue against that, but I will completely disagree that the Patriots have a better team than the Steelers.
Homefield advantage will be a huge factor in who takes the AFC. The last three winners in Steelers and Patriots games were the home team. Whether or not Brady actually serves his four game suspension, I still believe the Steelers will have a better regular season and take the number one spot. New England has a much harder schedule (9th toughest in league, .523 opponent winning percentage) than Pittsburgh (T-23rd toughest, .473 opponent winning percentage).
Roethlisberger and Brady are both all-time greats and multiple Super Bowl winners. However, right now the Steelers have a more explosive offense, and better all-around talent than the Patriots. Last season, the Steelers finished as the third overall offense in the league, with the Patriots as the sixth best. Pittsburgh had a better passing offense, and rushing attack than New England. That is pretty incredible considering Le’Veon Bell played in only six games.
Bell is expected to be back ready by week one. If healthy, he will again be the best running back in all of football. Rushing, receiving, blocking, whatever they need, Bell can do. It’s almost not fair that they him and a top two wide receiver in the league in Antonio Brown (see my Odell Beckham argument here). The yearlong suspension of Martavis Bryant was troubling, however the Steelers are prepared for that loss. Second year wide receiver Sammie Coates is primed to fill in his place.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette agrees with me that Coates is in store for a big year. “I would guess the one who should benefit most is Coates…I have been told he worked like crazy this offseason and is in great shape. Also, the fact the coaches keep talking him up means they expect him to progress nicely.”
The signing of Ladarius Green was an underrated addition, and will also help offset the loss of Bryant in the red zone. He is far more athletic and has the speed that the aging Heath Miller did not possess anymore. If he can be an adequate or better blocker, it will be hard for the Steelers to take him off the field. Green will be a match-up nightmare in a much better offense then he had in San Diego. The Patriots’ trade for Martellus Bennett was nice, but I believe the younger Green will make a bigger impact.
Defensively, the Steelers were the fifth best team in the league against the run last season. What they needed to do in the offseason was address the secondary. They did so early in the draft with first round cornerback Artie Burns, and second round safety Sean Davis. I thought both picks were slight reaches in terms of value, but filled great holes on the defense right away. The young duo of Burns and second year corner Senquez Golson have a lot of potential.
They still have a little more work to do in the secondary, but have closed the gap a bit with the Patriots defense. The front seven has talent all over, but it is crucial for Ryan Shazier to stay healthy. Everyone saw his impact on the team in the playoffs, specifically in his monster game against the Bengals.
For the Patriots, trading Chandler Jones to Arizona for an under-performing guard in Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick was a terrible move short-term and long-term. Obviously it was financially motivated for next season, but still stunning nonetheless. With the cap rising year after year, you have to work the cap to sign your best players. Jones was the most talented player on that defense. Veteran acquisition Chris Long will not make the type of impact that Jones made weekly for the Pats.
So let’s sum it up with three predictions. If healthy, the Pittsburgh Steelers will defeat the Denver Broncos for the AFC title in 2016. The New England Patriots will be a playoff team, but will not go that far. And in February, Mark will be making excuses on why he was again wrong.
must read: Sunday Debate: Denver Broncos Will be NFL's Top Defense
Please check out Mark’s opposing article, and feel free to join in on the debate in the comments!