Steelers appear great on offense, suspect on defense
Steelers wide receiver Martavis Bryant runs past Cincinnati’s Adam Jones during a game last season in Cincinnati. Bryant caught eight touchdown passes as a rookie in 2014, but he is facing a four-game suspension of violation of the league’s drug policy, pending appeal.
Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown led the NFL with 129 receptions last season.
PITTSBURGH – There typically isn’t much turnover from year to year with the Steelers.
That is not the case this season as Pittsburgh will break in a new defensive coordinator and several new defensive starters.
Gone are longtime defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and such stalwarts as cornerback Ike Taylor, safety Troy Polamalu and defensive end Brett Keisel. Add in the retirement of linebacker Jason Worilds, who tied for the team lead in sacks in 2014, and the loss of cornerback Brice McCain, who shared the team lead in interceptions, and the Steelers have some big question marks on defense heading into head coach Mike Tomlin’s ninth season.
“We lost some great guys, but we have starters in waiting,” said nose tacle Steve McLendon, one of the holdovers. “That’s how Coach Tomlin looks at it. It’s the next guy up. It’s the next opportunity to stand up and make a play.”
Fortunately for the Steelers, they have one of the best offenses in the NFL, and it returns intact. They also added a solid backup at running back in former Carolina Panthers starter DeAngelo Williams.
Pittsburgh ranked second in the NFL in total yards and seventh in scoring in what was a record-breaking performance in 2014.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger set team records for passing yards with an NFL-best 4,952 and wide receiver Antonio Brown led the NFL with 129 receptions for 1,698 yards. Running back Le’Veon Bell, meanwhile, became the league’s breakout star in his second season, leading the AFC in rushing with 1,361 yards and setting a team record for running backs with 83 receptions for 854 yards.
Brown and Bell shared the AFC Offensive Player of the Year award.
“I don’t see any complacency, because we want to keep getting better,” said Roethlisberger. “We can be as good as we want to be. We are going to have teams gunning for us and trying to stop (Brown) and Le’Veon. We want to be the best, so we’re going to keep striving to get there.”
It hasn’t all been smooth, however, for the offense.
The Steelers suffered a blow in the preseason as Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey suffered a broken leg. While it is not expected to be a season-ending injury, the Steelers are likely to be without his services for at least six games. Veteran Cody Wallace will replace Pouncey.
It was the second major injury suffered by the Steelers in the preseason. Placekicker Shaun Suisham suffered a torn knee ligament in the preseason opener and has been replaced by veteran Garrett Hartley.
Then, last week, it was revealed that second-year receiver Martavis Bryant, who caught eight TD passes in 10 games as a rookie, faces a 4-game suspension for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. Bryant is appealing that ruling.
The record-setting performance by the offense last season added up to the Steelers winning the AFC North for the first time since 2010 with an 11-5 record. The team could not win its first playoff game since 2010, falling, 30-17, to Baltimore in a Wildcard game at Heinz Field.
Bell, who had been injured the previous week in the regular-season finale against Cincinnati, did not play. Knowing that Bell will be suspended two games – reduced from three games – to start the season for a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the Steelers signed Williams.
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley stated the goal for his unit is to average 30 points per game, which is attainable considering the team scored 31.2 points per game after rookie receiver Martavis Bryant was inserted into the lineup with 10 games remaining last season. Bryant scored eight touchdowns and averaged 21.1 yards on 26 receptions.
“The sky is the limit. We’ve got a great group of guys and the whole offensive unit is good,” said guard David DeCastro. “We just have to stay healthy. That’s the whole key.”
If they could only say the same thing about the defense.
That unit ranked 18th in the NFL in both scoring and yards allowed, which led to LeBeau, who had been with the Steelers since 2004, being replaced by linebackers coach Keith Butler.
Butler already has made some philosophical changes. The Steelers will use both 3-4 and 4-3 defensive fronts and play more zone pass coverage, including a Cover-2 look, in the secondary.
The changes in the secondary are being made to help create more interceptions. The Steelers haven’t had more than 11 interceptions in a season since 2010.
With so much attention being given to the offense, the defense has felt slighted during the offseason.
“I think we have a chip on our shoulder because that’s who we are,” McLendon said. “Everybody wants to be great. We want to get better each day. I think we’re going to practice like that, play like that. We can’t help it.”
How much success the defense has will depend on the young starters. Sharmako Thomas will replace Polamalu at strong safety, and Stephon Tuitt will be at defensive end where Keisel had long been a factor. A bounceback year by cornerback Cortez Allen, who was benched early last season after signing a five-year, $26-million, would be a big step forward.
Regardless of what which guys are playing and who the defensive coordinator is, Tomlin expects results from the defense.
“I don’t grade on the curve. I don’t take present circumstances into the equation,” he said. “The standard is the standard, and we expect our guys to play good, dominant defense, regardless of who they are.”