Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished at 8-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs. If not for a late-season collapse, Pittsburgh would have snuck into the playoffs while operating a revolving door of mediocrity at the quarterback position. But the promise of the return of Ben Roethlisberger hope springs eternal.
At least this is what the folks at Bet MGM think. They released their over/under for 2020 season wins for all 32 NFL teams and their pick of 11 wins for the Steelers is quite generous.
Why such a big number? It’s all about Big Ben. Despite missing the playoffs the last two years, oddsmakers are counting on the combination of Roethlisberger’s return and newfound elite defense will be enough for Pittsburgh to keep pace with the top teams in the AFC.
If the Steelers want to reach their goals in 2020, they will need more than Roethlisberger. The defense will need to be even better than they were in 2019 as the top teams of the AFC — the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs — went to significant lengths this offseason to get even better.
