The Pittsburgh Steelers organization throughout history has produced some of the best defenses in the history of the NFL. The 2020 Steelers defense will fit right into that history. They were a big reason why the Steelers went 11-0 to begin the season. Unfortunately, the Steelers offense could not give them much help. The Steelers ended up spiraling after the Washington Football game and eventually went 1-6 and were eliminated by the Browns in the playoffs. That was an embarrassing loss. I would put that playoff loss next to the Tim Tebow loss in Denver as being one of the worst playoff losses in Steelers history.
Peter King recently sat down with Mike Florio and discussed what the Steelers need to do to be contenders in 2021. King said he would line up 12-15 teams and he would take the Steelers as being a team to contend because they have Ben Roethlisberger and a championship defense. Even if Bud Dupree leaves in free agency King feels the Steelers defense will remain a Super Bowl caliber defense.
The problem Peter King has is the AFC North teams are getting better each season. With Joe Burrow coming back and the Bengals coaching staff knowing they have to start winning in 2021 they will become a threat. King says the Browns and Ravens are already a threat to the Steelers. He feels the Steelers can win the division, but they also could finish 4th in the AFC North as well.
If everything goes right like the first 11 weeks of the 2020 season King says the Pittsburgh Steelers can be a Super Bowl team in 2021. Florio says the Steelers need to find a Franco Harris this year in the 2021 NFL draft. That would be the first step to making the Steelers a contending team because it doesn't feel like any of the running backs they have right now give them what they need to help out in the running game.
King says one of the biggest problems with the Steeler's running game is that James Conner has been hurt every single year since becoming the starter in Pittsburgh. That is true. Conner has not played a full season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not only do the Steelers need a workhorse in Pittsburgh... They also need offensive line help too. If the Steelers can give Ben Roethlisberger a new best friend in the backfield, an offensive line that can protect the pass and help the running game alongside their championship-caliber defense then the Steelers can definitely become a Super Bowl caliber team in 2021.
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