![]() ![]() Last year, they ranked fifth in total defense, third in pass defense (allowing only 194.6 yards per game) and fifth in scoring defense. Watt and Devin Bush at linebacker or safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and corners Joe Haden and Steven Nelson, the Steelers are loaded with defensive talent at every level. Whether it's Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt on the defensive line, Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. If the Steelers approach that level of offensive production in 2020 and combine it with last year's defense, they'll be heading for the playoffs. The Steelers also boast an offensive line that ranked a respectable 12th in pass protection last season, per Football Outsiders. offer Roethlisberger a deep and diverse array of options in the backfield. Pittsburgh might not have an elite running back, but James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, Benny Snell Jr. ![]() Rookie Chase Claypool is joining the Steelers after hauling in 66 passes for 1,037 yards and 13 scores last year at Notre Dame. Youngster James Washington took a big step forward in his second season, averaging 16.7 yards per reception. He hauled in six balls for 78 yards in last year's season opener before Big Ben went down with his elbow injury. In his last full season with Roethlisberger, Smith-Schuster caught 111 passes for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns. Although Smith-Schuster struggled in his first season as Pittsburgh's top receiver in 2019, that may be in part because he was catching ducks from Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges. Star wideout Antonio Brown is long gone, but the Steelers still have plenty of passing-game weapons. In 2018, he led the league with 5,129 passing yards and threw a career-high 34 touchdowns. ![]() But it isn't as though he had shown significant signs of decline in recent years. He turned 38 in March and is heading into his 17th NFL season. Roethlisberger isn't getting any younger. The sight of a clean-shaven Big Ben likely delighted his wife.īoth are bad news for the rest of the AFC. The sight of Roethlisberger zipping 50-yard passes has to delight the Steelers and their fans. Throw it to one of my teammates, a legit NFL pass."ī good to be back out there with my guys! Roethlisberger had developed quite the mountain-man look after stating: "I'm not going to shave or cut my hair until I can throw a football again. He's been working hard, and it's been cool to be a part of that process and just to see him put his mind to coming back, just to see that tenacity has been neat to be a part of." It's leaps and bounds different from when we first started. "I don't know how many balls he threw, but he threw a lot to James (Conner) out of the backfield, me, JuJu. Switzer, who has been catching passes from Roethlisberger in these impromptu workouts since February, said Big Ben has made significant strides in the last few months: He has been throwing like that for a while and, in my opinion at least, getting out there on that field for the first time and throwing full-speed routes was refreshing. There was no restraint, no hesitancy, he was just out there. Steelers wideout Ryan Switzer told Mark Kaboly of The Athletic that the 38-year-old looked to be in midseason form: Roethlisberger gathered with some of his teammates (including top wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster) last week for a throwing session at a Pittsburgh high school. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |