Steely McBeam
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
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With a rash of new offenses sweeping the league, the Pittsburgh Steelers are staying the course.
“We’re going to be the same, boring old Steelers,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger told John Kryk of the Toronto Sun on Thursday. “There’s something to be said about not making big changes, and just getting better at what you already know.”
Within what the Steelers already know, there are plenty of unknowns. This will the first year without either Antonio Brown or Le'Veon Bell on the team since 2009, and it remains to be seen how defenses will approach the Pittsburgh offense.
Presumably, they’ll try to take away 2018 team MVP and new No. 1 receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster with two or more defenders. Can JuJu beat double coverage? If not, his numbers will reflect that.
Then comes the question of whether the running backs will draw a safety toward the line of scrimmage, like Bell did. James Conner thrived last year, in an offense that had Brown. If Conner, who now enters his third season, can find another gear to his game, the focus on Smith-Schuster could shift to Conner.
Ultimately, the goal will be for Smith-Schuster and Conner to become the new Brown and Bell. Along the way, other players will need to step up to take advantage of favorable matchups, whether that’s receiver Donte Moncrief, receiver James Washington, receiver Diontae Johnson, receiver Ryan Switzer, or tight end Vance McDonald.
Still, Roethlisberger remains at the center of it all, and it’s quite possible that Roethlisberger is the real reason for the team’s success on offense, with his decisions and throws ultimately providing the impetus for moving the chains, scoring points, and winning games.