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Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8-1)
New faces: QB Mitch Trubisky, QB Kenny Pickett, LB Miles Jack, DL Larry Ogunjobi, OL James Daniel, C Mason Cole, CB Levi Wallace, WR George Pickens, DL DeMarvin Leal, WR Calvin Austin III.
Major loss: QB Ben Roethlisberger. CB Joe Hayden, DL Stephon Twitt, WR Juju Smith-Schuster, WR James Washington, WR Ray Ray MacLeod, TE Eric Ebron, ILB Joe Shobert, RT Zak Banner.
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Strengths: The Steelers are one of the few teams in the league that can make a difference at all three levels of defense. Defensive his end Cam Hayward is a longtime professional his bowler, entering his 12th season and may be on the cusp of a Hall of Fame candidacy. OLB TJ Watt is arguably the best edge rusher in the NFL, tying a league record with 22 1/2 sacks and the league’s defensive he is about to finish the season winning the Player of the Year award. Pittsburgh made S Minka Fitzpatrick a very wealthy man in the offseason.
Weaknesses: For the first time in nearly 20 years, the Steelers are going into a season with quarterback woes. Ben Roethlisberger is retired, and it looks like Mitch Trubisky will be given the first chance to replace the franchise icon. It’s not a matter of if he gets the chance to show his breakout season, but when. And for all the star power on defense, there are serious depth concerns along the defensive line and linebackers: The Steelers finished last in the NFL against last year’s runs. Miles His Jack and the addition of Larry Ogunjobi have brought a bit of an influx of talent to the front seven, but there’s also plenty of skepticism.
Steelers’ TJ Watt has ‘simple’ goals in mind after fantastic 2021 season
Camp Development: Second-round pick WR George Pickens looked like the big playmaker the Steelers are looking to complement WR Dionte Johnson. , has made a difficult catch in the traffic. His rapid rise will put a little pressure on WR Chase’s claypool as the 2020 rookie recaptures his early-season magic.
Fantasy player to watch: RB Nagy Harris. The Steelers relied heavily on Harris last season, and Harris responded by setting a franchise rookie record for rushing yards in a single season (1,200 yards) . Harris is versatile (74 receptions) and durable. Coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Matt Canada say they’re trying to find ways to lighten the load on Harris a little bit, but the gap between Harris and his backups is so big that it’s hard for Harris to get out. You may have no choice but to ride him as long as you can go.
FanDuel comments: Win the Super Bowl: 70-1. Win Over/Under: 7.5.
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Expectations: The Steelers enter the post-Roethlisberger era as an unknown. After a big run in Chicago and spending last season in Buffalo as Josh Allen’s backup, could Trubisky play well? Was Pickett’s rebellious Heisman nominee in the pits last fall a mirage? Is your offensive line effective enough to effectively do the job of whoever the quarterback is? Does the defense stand up to quality competition? Tomlin has never lost a season on the sidelines in 15 years. He accepts the challenge to prove that his success was not entirely dependent on his Roethlisberger. The defense needs to work early while the offense finds its footing. Don’t expect a massive plunge into the depths of the AFC, but a lot has to go well, especially at quarterback, to get back to the playoffs for the third year in a row.