Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets

The Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North division last year but did so in less than impressive fashion. They then bowed out of the playoffs in the second round despite playing host to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Most concerning was the way the Steelers fell apart in the latter stages of the season. A team usually known for being able to physically manhandle its opponents was having the tables turned on them.

While some will point to injuries, especially the broken foot to running back Willie Parker, others will look to head coach Mike Tomlin and the teams struggle to find its identity.

Some weeks the Steelers appeared to be a more finesse offense, opting to throw the ball downfield a lot and try and win games by outscoring the opposition. Other times, Pittsburgh wanted to control clock by pounding the ball on the ground and allow their defense to do the rest.

Pittsburgh did very little to upgrade their team through free agency in the offseason, but they did make some significant improvements in the draft.

The team drafted running back Rashard Mendenhall late in the first round, a nice steal since he was projected to go in the middle of the of the round. They were then able to grab wide receiver Limas Sweed late in the second round when he was projected to possibly go as early as late first.

Both players should be able to make immediate impacts, at the very least providing some much-needed depth.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had made some controversial comments about needing a tall wide receiver to use in the red zone, which angered some teammates. However, the organization seemed to agree with the quarterback, drafting Sweed to give him the big target he has desired ever since wide receiver Plaxico Burress left a few years ago.

On the defensive side, this team is not nearly what is once was. They lack the tenacity they showed under the Bill Cowher era, which was exhibited in their two losses to the Jaguars late in the season.

Pittsburgh has a decent chance to win the division, but they will need to stay healthy and their defense will need to show they can slow down Cleveland and Cincinnatis explosive offenses.