I don't think the Bengals are better than the Steelers, but I have to give the ratbirds their credit. That defense is a lot better than ours. If we are going to challage them it is going to be because the offense got better for us, a lot better.
I think the Steelers can be in the range of the Ravens if that happens. Better? No ... probably not. Who knows though. Some of the best Steeler season in recent memory have come on the heels of a poor season and low expectations.
Ben needs to play like he did two years ago and the offensive line has to step up after last years dismal showing. IMHO it's all on the offense, the defense you know what your getting which is an average unit that isn't anything spectacular. They won't be a weakness I don't believe, but the offense is going to win us games if we are in fact going to win more than 6 or 7.
That's what I'm talking about man!!! Alot of people here are giving the Steelers no chance to make the playoffs in 2007, including alot of Steeler fans. I on the other hand am very optimistic about the Steelers chances in 2007. Baltimore and Cincinatti are not superior teams over the Steelers. If Ben can get back to being " BIG BEN ", and the offensive line and defense comes together, the Steelers can win the AFC North.
Now, I am not a homer. I'm not going to sit here and say that the Steelers are the best team in the NFL or even the best team in the AFC, because their not. There are teams with more talent than the Steelers thanks to better drafting, but the Steelers have some talented players themselves. I know that after winning the Super Bowl two years ago, the Steelers have not become an " average team ". People love to hate the Steelers. I remember in 2004 when the Steelers were beating teams left and right en route to a 15-1 regular season finish, analysts and experts were not giving them the credit that they deserved. Now that they had a down year in 2006, some people around here are already throwing in the towel before the season has a chance to get started.
If Ben can get back to form then we'll have one of the 10 best quarterbacks in the league. Willie is a stud. Ward and Santonio are a good 1-2 punch. Miller is a good tight end. We've got the best guard in football ( at least for one more year.) We've got one of the best and most underrated starting defensive line in the league, and we have the best saftey in the NFL. There are some reason's for optimism right there. Obviously we need to add some quality players during the draft, and need to do it more consistently. But if the Steelers have a good draft and players step up their game, the Steelers will be a playoff team.
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Froggy, you've been a joke on this board since day one.
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I have high hopes for the Steelers this season. As has already been stated, most of the teams success rides on the play of Ben. The Steelers have lost very little this offseason and the core of the team is still young and can produce. The Steelers did us all a favor by getting rid of Haynes and to some extent Porter. I cant wait to see which direction they go in the draft.
As for the rest of the division. The Ravens are the team to beat, only by default, they won the division last year. But thats a team that is getting older right before our eyes. And I'm not sold that the Bungals can keep it together long enough as a team to win. How long before Johnson starts *****ing again? At what point will people realize TJ is bigger *** then Johnson? The Bungals find themselves in much of the same shape as the Steelers, the season rests on Palmers ability to regain his pre-injury form.
JMat said he would be happy with 8-8? Hell no. This team has way too much tallent to be 8-8. Anything short of 10-6 is a problem. Yes the 2nd 1/2 of the season is a bear, but what team out of that list cant the Steelers beat? I think the Steelers team last season was less tallented then this years and it ended 8-8 and could have easily been 10-6 if not for some piss poor play by some of the players.
Tallent wise the Steelers stack up with any team in the league. It all comes down to production and coaching.
Tallent wise the Steelers stack up with any team in the league. It all comes down to production and coaching.
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I wouldn't go quite that far. POTENTIAL-wise, yeah, the Steelers could hang with anybody if all their guys that were expected to break out did. Guys like starks, your entire secondary minus polamalu, your young WRs...if these guys step up and play like many, including myself, were expecting them to last year, then yeah, you've got a great team on your hands. But when you say talent that just needs coaching...in those cases I'd be thinking more like ravens from two years ago, where we had numerous guys making plays all over the field and boosting their stat lines, but the team itself was unfocused and couldn't put together a string of good play. Your guys actually need to learn to make the plays they're being expected to make.
It's pointless to sit there, look at the schedule, and predict a win or loss. Teams get better, and teams get worse that quick.
All we can do is figure out our situation. Can Simmons replace Hartings? Will Ben return to form? Keisel and Harrison a weakness? What will we do in the draft? etc.
What exactly makes Baltimore and Cincinnati better football teams than the Steelers? Please explain.
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I dunno about Cincinnati, but Baltimore has 2x the defense Pittsburgh has and the same if not better offense.
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