Pittsburgh Steelers atop AFC North until proven otherwise

Big name stars may have jettisoned the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, but the team remains atop the AFC North until proven otherwise. They are the most complete team with a chip on its shoulder.

When was the last time we went into an offseason and it really seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers were in trouble? The AFC North is having all kinds of non-Cleveland issues this spring, and Pittsburgh is perhaps in the greatest peril. Or is it?

The entire AFC North divisional storyline is upside down. Pittsburgh has come out the other side with seemingly less than it started with. Are we dealing with addition by subtraction? Does it even matter? The Steelers have the best quarterback and the best chance of winning their division.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the Pittsburgh Steelers in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

Le’Veon Bell is gone. Antonio Brown forced his way out. Pittsburgh feels good about James Conner replacing the former and will pretend it feels good about JuJu Smith-Schuster replacing the latter. In reality, a team can overcome losses, but it will be worse by default when two of the most talented skill players in the world leave the roster and are essentially replaced by what’s in-house.

Is Smith-Schuster really his own No. 1 wide receiver, or did he solely benefit from playing across from Brown? The truth is likely somewhere in the middle. We know Donte Moncrief and Eli Rogers aren’t going to replace Brown’s production. It will be up to Smith-Schuster to now make everyone around him better. That is a tall task, even if Brown forced Pittsburgh’s hand and was disrupting the locker room.

The ironic thing, is the Steelers likely made no wrong moves to be placed in this level of upheaval. They bet against Bell and were right. His production was replaced last season since running back is arguably the most replaceable position in the sport, and he didn’t warrant the contract demands he was making once the free market took hold.

As for Brown, he forced his own way out and ruined Pittsburgh’s trade leverage in the process. Where was the move to avoid this offensive reset? I don’t see it.

Both of the following statements feel true to me: Pittsburgh has gotten worse, and Pittsburgh can win the AFC North in 2019.

Between the offensive line, consistency at quarterback, breakout skill players, a fearsome defensive front, and secondary talent, Pittsburgh has tons of building blocks teams look for in the early portion of the offseason. With the draft still to come, holes like inside linebacker and pass catching depth can be filled.

My immediate reaction was to declare Pittsburgh dead and its contention window closed. That simply isn’t true, though. The roster has less talent right now than it did a season ago, but being worse is not the same as being dead.

I could actually see the Steelers settling into the spot of a post-hype sleeper. Sure, the big, star names are out the door, but the team as a whole can still function. And what if we see the cliche-filled addition by subtraction in the locker room? I wonder what this team’s divisional odds will settle at and whether it ends up being the best bet in the North.

Dan Salem:

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a worse football team after losing two star players, but they are still the best team in the AFC North until proven otherwise. Last season, their defense let them down and the Steelers lost the division to Baltimore. In 2019, the Browns now look stacked on paper, while the Ravens and Bengals appear to be rebuilding. I won’t count out Baltimore, but Cleveland has a lot to prove before I consider them division favorites. This is Pittsburgh’s division to lose.

It’s been several years running in which I’ve thought Ben Roethlisberger was about to play his final season. Considering I’ve been wrong each time and he had one of his best seasons in recent years in 2018, I will not count out Big Ben this year. He is Pittsburgh’s X-factor and the glue that binds their offense and defense.

Roethlisberger was the reason that Connor slotted in so nicely to the offense and Smith-Schuster looks like a new number one receiver. He makes the players around him better and their jobs easier. So what do the Steelers need this season to actually win the AFC North?

Pittsburgh needs Roethlisberger to continue his ageless performance, much like Drew Brees and Tom Brady keep playing like all-time great players. Anything less than vintage Roethlisberger and the Steelers are in trouble. A more balanced offense will be utilized to cover the holes left by Brown and Bell, because no one is going to be wide open in the passing game since Brown won’t be getting extra attention. Connor will be a known commodity, so he too has more work to do this season. I’d love the Steelers to find a true receiving option at tight end.

The combination of Vance McDonald and Jesse James put up 1000 yards receiving last year. No tight ends truly shined outside of Philadelphia and Kansas City, but McDonald showed promise. His 50 receptions were solid, even if his four touchdowns were not. Yet he’s a veteran of seven seasons, so I don’t anticipate a huge jump in performance.

With an aging Roethlisberger and fewer weapons, tight end could truly spark this offense. The Steelers defense confused me last season, so I won’t comment in depth on the unit. They must allow fewer points and the draft is full of young talent to help.