After two straight years without a trip to the playoffs, Pittsburgh Steelers fans are both frustrated and hopeful for the 2020 season. The return of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should mean the Steelers are a contender for the AFC but here are four things that will almost assure the Steelers won’t make it to the Super Bowl, much less win it.
Another catastrophic injury
Who qualifies as irreplaceable on the Steelers roster right now? Obvious No. 1 is Roethlisberger. If the Steelers lose Big Ben again, the season will once again be lost. But is there another player who qualifies? A case could be made that linebacker T.J. Watt and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick could both be players, if lost for the season would sink the season.
Coaches who can’t adapt
The Steelers have lost too many games over the past two seasons by failing to make adjustments in-game. I have to believe that after two years of coming up just short, head coach Mike Tomlin will adjust his philosophy enough to allow for more versatility, especially on the offensive side of the football.
The defense takes a step back
The improvement in the Steelers defense last season was nothing short of miraculous. This unit carried the team to 8-8 by racking up sacks and turnovers. If they take a step back in 2020, I’m not sure if the offense will be able to pick up the slack. This offensive has a chance to be incredibly efficient as long as they don’t find themselves in shootouts and that falls on the defense.
Slip-ups in easy games
The Steelers schedule has some real challenges on it. But at the same time, Pittsburgh had six or seven games they have no business losing. Last season, with the playoffs in sight, the Steelers collapsed losing to the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills in the final three weeks with everything on the line.
