In just a few short weeks, NFL fans everywhere will finally get some real football. The Pittsburgh Steelers will start training camp on July 25 and it won’t be long after that they will actually be in the field playing in the preseason. With that, we decided it was time to do our over/unders for the season in some of the more interesting categories.
JuJu Smith-Schuster receptions
Over/Under: 104
Last season, Smith-Schuster led the team with 111 receptions and broke out as one of the true stars in the NFL. Can he do it again this season without Antonio Brown on the other side? This might be the biggest question to answer. Smith-Schuster now becomes the focal point of the passing offense in terms of coverage so the sledding might get a little tougher.
UNDER
T.J. Watt sacks
Over/Under: 13.5
Watt led the Steelers with 13 sacks in 2018. This was in spite of the fact he was also the team’s best coverage linebacker and one of the best run stuffers on the team. There might be no statistic to benefit more from the addition of Devin Bush. If Bush can be the coverage player we expect, it could allow Watt many more pass-rushing opportunities this season.
OVER
Ben Roethlisberger passing yards
Over/Under: 4,800 yards
Last season, the Steelers gave up on the run game for the most part and this pushed Roethlisberger to throw for more than 5,000 yards. It looked great in the boxscore but wasn’t the help this team needed. If the Steelers want to win this season, they must find more balance on offense.
UNDER
Wins
Over/Under: 9.5
With the additions and losses on the roster this offseason, it’s really tough to get a read for just how good this team can be. Last season, Pittsburgh won nine games and missed the playoffs. Ten wins is probably a baseline to get back to the playoffs in 2019. Can the Steelers do that?
OVER
Turnovers forced
Over/Under: 16.5
In 2018, the Steelers were among the league’s worst at creating turnovers with only 15 takeaways. Only two teams, the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, were worse. The Steelers have dedicated a ton of resources this offseason to the defensive side of the football in the hopes of improving this number.
OVER
