PITTSBURGH _ Optimism wasn't trickling out of Steelers camp this year. It was pouring out, whether by self-description or media observation.
Ben Roethlisberger? Better than ever.
James Conner? Best shape of his life and unmistakably the "bell cow" of the backfield (wasn't that a Kenny Rogers song?)
The two top picks, Chase Claypool and Alex Highsmith? Already "proving they belong in the NFL."
JuJu Smith-Schuster is having fun again. Eric Ebron is "very elite," according to linebacker Devin Bush. Ryan Switzer is "out to prove a lot of people right" (or at least he was, before he got cut). And the Steelers, if you can believe this, have not one but two "starter-capable" right tackles.
Did I mention the defense?
"There really is no ceiling," safety Terrell Edmunds told reporters via Zoom. "We can do anything we set our minds to. I can put the statement out there: We are the best defense out there."
Clearly, the Steelers love themselves some Steelers. Which is as it should be. They believe they're at least as good as the Baltimore Ravens and fully capable of winning a championship No. 7 now that No. 7 is back, and, who knows, maybe better than ever.
And you know what? I'm buying. I believe this team is loaded, although lacking depth in key areas.
I see a real quarterback again. I see plenty of weapons. I see an elite defense _ from the bookends up front (Stephon Tuitt, Cam Heyward), to the twin quarterback crushers (Bud Dupree, T.J. Watt) to the best pair of cover corners we've seen around here in years (Joe Haden, Steven Nelson) to a star-in-the-making (Bush) to a star already made (Minkah Fitzpatrick). Watt and Fitzpatrick are legit Defensive Player of the Year candidates.
I believe this is one of a handful of Super Bowl-capable teams in the AFC.
Which is why I also believe a loss Monday night at MetLife Stadium would not merely cast doubt on all the tough talk and happy thoughts but also qualify as a massive embarrassment.
When you're chasing a team that went 14-2 last season, you don't lose to the New York (Bad At) Football Giants on opening night. The "best defense out there" better have an answer for a second-year quarterback with a leaky line. The Giants are rebuilding again. They went 4-12 last season before looking for their third coach (Joe Judge) in five years. They are 12-36 over the past three years.
The Steelers are superior at nearly every position, with the obvious exception of running back, where Saquon Barkley is the closest thing to Barry Sanders since Barry Sanders.
The strange and unprecedented circumstances surrounding Week 1 also should favor the Steelers.
There was no offseason to speak of. There was no preseason. Logic says continuity, familiarity and experience _ the Steelers are rich in all three _ should provide a massive advantage when matched against a starter program. The Giants have some talent, sure, but also plenty of problems, including severe issues in the secondary. The Vegas over-under on their season win total isn't 6.5 by accident.
David DeCastro or no David DeCastro, the Steelers should attack successfully on several fronts, even without the benefit of a preseason (in which the veterans barely play, anyway). This is no time for their near-annual road belly flop.
You know that story by heart, I'm sure. The Raiders and Browns games from 2018, the Bears game from 2017, etc. I would include last year's Jets debacle, except the Steelers probably deserve a pass on account of their hideous quarterback predicament at the time.
Actually, they don't.
That was a brutally bad loss with a season on the line.
I'm not saying this needs to be pretty. Style points aren't important here. By kickoff, it will have been 364 days since Roethlisberger played a game. There are two new starters on the offensive line, plus Matt Feiler changing positions. Nobody should expect anything close to perfection.
But when you're hounding a team that went 14-2 and looks formidable again, and calling yourself the best defense in football, you should probably avoid another wretched road loss. When you're convinced of your championship worthiness, you better avoid such a fate in Week 1 against the New York (Not so Good at) Football Giants.
This is a game the Steelers should win and better win.
Will they?
I'll be the Judge of that: Yes, 23-10.
