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5 Things the Pittsburgh Steelers Must Do Well Schematically in 2016

By John Sarianides

Jan 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts during the third quarter of the AFC Divisional round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin reacts during the third quarter of the AFC Divisional round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Steelers will once again have one of the top offenses in the NFL in 2016. The question is, will the defense play well enough to get this team to a Super Bowl?

The 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 26.4 points per game on offense and gave up 19.9 per game on defense. Overall, the Steelers finished 3rd in total offense and 21st in total defense. That’s a stark contrast statistically.

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If the Steelers want to contend for a Super Bowl, they need to balance out those numbers. The offense will still be potent despite missing Martavis Bryant who is suspended for the 2016 season. It’s the defense that needs to carry its weight if the Steelers are going to truly contend in the AFC.

Here are five things the Steelers must do schematically in 2016.

1. Get More Out of Sammie Coates and Markus Wheaton: With Martavis Bryant suspended for the season, the Steelers will need more out of Sammie Coates and Markus Wheaton. At 6’2″ and 210 pounds, Coates is a big physical receiver who has strong hands and can separate after the catch. He isn’t as big or as fast as Bryant but he can do many of the same things. Wheaton is a terrific route runner and a big play threat. Both receivers need to step up and fill the void left by Bryant’s suspension.

2. Get LeVeon Bell Back Into the Swing of Things: With LeVeon Bell coming back from a major knee injury, the conventional wisdom would be to take it slow. Maybe you do that in the pre season but once the regular season starts, offensive coordinator Todd Haley needs to take the training wheels off and let Bell be the three down difference maker he’s capable of being.

3. Generate Interior Pressure: The Steelers can bring as much pressure out of their 3-4 defense as any team in the league but a lot of that pressure comes off the edge.

Defensive coordinator Keith Butler must find a way to disrupt opposing quarterbacks by bringing inside pressure. Ryan Shazier is athletic and explosive and he can be effective in Pittsburgh’s pressure packages. Butler needs to bring Shazier on A gap and B gap pressure and move Lawrence Timmons around and bring him off the edge. The Steelers need to get back to being creative defensively like they were under former coordinator Dick LeBeau.

4. Use More 6 and 7 Man Protections: Quartetback Ben Roethlisberger gets hit a lot. The Steelers need to do a better job of protecting him. One of the ways to do that is to get the ball out of Roethlisberger’s hand quickly. Another way to do it is to use more 6- and 7-man protections. Keeping the tight end or the backs in occasion will Roethlisberger stay healthy.

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5. Get the Kicking Game in Order: Special teams coach Danny Smith needs to get more out of his kicking game. Smith will be breaking in a new punter in Jordan Berry. That’ll be a challenge in itself. The Steelers do return Chris Boswell who replaced ineffective veteran Josh Scobee last season. Boswell was 29-of-32 on field goal attempts, with a long of 51 yards. He stabilized the Steelers kicking situation but he doesn’t have a big leg.

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