There’s no “I” in team. But as we saw in 2019, there are definitely certain players that, if they struggle or succumb to injury, it could affect the entire landscape of the team.
Here are the seven players most critical to the success of the Steelers 2020 season — in no particular order (okay, maybe Ben Roethlisberger is first).
Ben Roethlisberger
There’s really no need to explain how utterly important Roethlisberger is to the success of the Steelers this season. But since that’s my job, I’ll get on with it.
From the moment Ben rushed to the sideline writhing in pain in Week 2 versus the Seahawks, the offense fell apart. There was a trickle-down that affected all aspects of the team, excluding the defense. If anything, the defense played harder, knowing they were going to be relied on to help the Steelers stay competitive.
Every phase of the offense, from the passing and ground game to the offensive line, struggled without Big Ben.
So far, two weeks into training camp, all signs point toward a healthy and rejuvenated Roethlisberger returning to lead his team in September. The Steelers nearly made the playoffs last season without him. One would imagine that even if Ben plays at 80 percent, this team is in store for a successful 2020 — postseason included.
James Conner
For any NFL offense to be balanced, they need to have a reliable and consistent run game. It appears that, once again, the Steelers are going to rely heavily on Conner to tote the rock. “Usually, when it’s going well, it’s because you have a lead dog out front, and that guy is the featured runner,” head coach Mike Tomlin said this offseason. Tomlin is a “feature runner type guy by mentality,” and his lead dog is Conner. It seems that the only way a multiple running back situation will come into play is if something happens to No. 30.
Diontae Johnson
We all saw how special Johnson was as a rookie, and by having some experience in the Steelers system, we can expect that he’ll be even better in 2020. Why is he on this list? I believe it’ll be up to Johnson (and not as much James Washington) to relieve JuJu Smith-Schuster of being double-teamed. JSS is a good receiver, but we witnessed last season that he doesn’t have that elite ability to make plays when being draped by corners. Johnson must be the type of player that commands respect from the secondary.
T.J. Watt
There’s no question that Watt is the heart and soul of the Steelers defense. That defense is facing some quality quarterbacks in Dak Prescott (Dallas), Deshaun Watson (Texans), Josh Allen (Bills), and Lamar Jackson (twice), but they have to get by Watt first.
Stephon Tuitt
Tuitt has appeared in all 16 games just once in his six-year career — his rookie season; even then, he wasn’t yet a full-time starter. Since year two, the lineman has missed 20 games due to injury. With 22 tackles (six for loss), 3.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits, Tuitt was on track for a career season in 2019 when a torn pectoral landed him on injured reserve. The Steelers felt confident letting Javon Hargrave walk because they trust in Tuitt to pick right back up from where he left off.
Minkah Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick added a spark the Steelers secondary was lacking before he came aboard. He was thrust into a new defense in Week 3 and didn’t bat an eye. An advantage Fitzpatrick has heading into 2020 that he didn’t have last season is time. As defensive coordinator Keith Butler said, Fitzpatrick now knows the Steelers defense “inside and out”. Expectations for his level of play are even higher than they were last season. It was the Steelers secondary that helped them remain competitive in 2019, and they will need to continue that trend throughout the upcoming season.
Eric Ebron
The Steelers offense hasn’t truly incorporated a tight end in years — at least not like they did in the days of Heath Miller. We won’t know what Fichtner’s plans are to get Ebron and Vance McDonald involved until the cleats hit the Kentucky bluegrass, but a big-bodied target like Ebron is exactly what Big Ben has been longing for. If Ebron can stay healthy, he should prove to be a force to be reckoned with, especially in the end zone.
