2019 NFL Power Rankings: Who heads into summer at No. 1?
By Ian Cummings
No. 18 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The playoff absence came amid the departures of both Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, further clouding the future of the Steelers. Now, in 2019, they’ll look to rebound, but it won’t be as easy as it’s been for Mike Tomlin.
Losing Antonio Brown hurts the Steelers; for as much of a distraction as he may have been in his worst moments, he was a dynamic threat for Pittsburgh, and now, aside from ascending star Juju Smith-Schuster, the team’s receiving core is largely unproven, with players such as James Washington and Donte Moncrief set to take substantial snaps.
Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a career year, statistically, in which he eclipsed 5,000 yards for the first time in his career. However, Roethlisberger had two elite receivers, so a regression to the mean has to be somewhat expected for Pittsburgh’s passing offense.
For the Steelers’ passing defense, a return to the mean would be welcomed. Always prone to the backbreaking mistake, Pittsburgh’s secondary has talent, but consistency needs to be attained in 2019, and down the stretch in 2018, Mike Tomlin didn’t do enough to put his players in the right position.
The Steelers added players in the NFL Draft to atone for defensive inconsistency, such as Devin Bush and Justin Layne, but after seeing how dangerous the AFC North suddenly is, and how Tomlin failed in crucial moments in 2018, it’s hard not to ask oneself: Is this where the Steelers fall from relevance?