Predictions for the year for the Steelers

I am very optimistic about this year.  Although some may say the loss of Faneca hurts the Steelers, I say yes he WAS a great lineman, but I think he was past his prime, and the Steelers have always been great of letting players go at the right time.  I think the improvements to the line are good enough, with the addition to a running back that can actually run on 1st and 2nd downs and up the middle like Mendenhall (who I also think will become the starter before or by the end of the '09 season), I think the running game is going to be great.  There is now a tall WR which the Steelers have missed since Burress.  Lastly, looking at the defense, last year they fell apart.  If they stay healthy, which they didnt last year, I think they will be the best defense all year.  I think the CB's are the weakest spot but they improved a lot last year under Tomlin and I think they will be better this year.  I am worried about Harrison.  He might have made the pro bowl but in reality the only thing he had was the Ravens night game.  His sack total was not impressive when you consider his performance in just once game.  However, I look foward to seeing Timmons and Woodley take over as the outside linebackers.

Overall, with the toughest schedule in football, I hope they will go 11-5, but in reality I think a 10-6 maybe a 9-7 but I think even a 9-7 is good enough to win the division.  Everyone talks about the Browns improvements, but the Steelers are still the team to beat.  And unless the Browns beat the Steelers twice this year (which I give them a 1% chance to), the Steelers will win the division.

I could see 9-7 or 10-6 but with that schedule I could also see 8-8.  I was really down on them before signing hartwig and drafting Mendenhall  and Sweed. I think we upgraded the defense by inserting Woodley for Hagans. With a good pass rush our corners are very good and Clark should help a ton. My biggest concern is fullback. I am a firm believer that we need a very good fullback to be a succesful running team. Kreider is the man. I'm not sure if he is still on the roster but he should be. Picture a package with Spaeth Sweed and Miller as well as Holmes and ward. Wow that would give defensive coordinators fits.

this year we have a tough schedule, offensive line is a rebuild and the Browns are a team to watch.

All that stuff makes me wonder if the Steelers can win 10 games. I think they can win 12.

This year we put it back in the AFC championship game.

Not sure about this year in particular, but....I do forsee another ring within the next three years, as Holmes develops further, Roethlisberger continues to produce, Limas Sweed gets some experience, and with FWP and Medenhall in the backfield.  We have added a lot of depth to our defense, and I think we have a number of up-and-coming playmakers on our roster, plus we have a new head coach that is VERY achievement-driven.

This season might see us finishing at 10-6 or 9-7 ( but I wouldn't be surprised with an 8-8 or 12-4 either), but we are definitely headed in the right direction and I do not see any "rebuilding" phases anytime soon, IMHO.

It's a little early to be making predictions for me although the pieces of what could be a special team are coming together. Although we've stocked the cupboard with skilled players on both sides of the ball the future of this team still depends on the O-Line which is already on the roster, pending the signiture of Tony Hills. I do agree with all of you that it's not as bad as many have made it out to be, the addition of Hartwig, health of Smith and the competition among the youngsters will make for a pretty good line this year. The next glaring weakness is the depth of the D-line which they've addressed by signing 3 free agents and brought back last years project Ryan McBean, we have yet to see how any of them will pan out.

We could have a probowl team of skilled players, if these two lines don't turn out to be average or better then we can forget about it until we have time to plug some new people in over the next few years.

7-9

Injuries I suspect will shut this team down this season, that and IMO Ben will not be able to get away with posing as a top tier QB this season.

Schedule this year is way too Brutal. 3-3 in your division would be impressive considering I don't expect you all to be sweeping anyone but the Ravens and even that is not a given, then there is still the possibility of being swept as well.

Seeing the Steelers lose a game they had won against the Jaguars in the play-offs when only needing one more 1st down, has me thinking we will be seeing more of the same from the Steelers this year, as they may very well indeed lose more close ones than they win considering how beat up the team will be considering how physical they play and the grinder they will be in with this schedule.

Being the Hater that I am, I can't help but have compasion for this team this season considering they are the underdog.

You know what is funny, no matter how much we know, or think reality has a way of putting us in our place by having teams for instance that are aganst all odds take it all the way. Can the Steelers do it twice? I wouldn;t bet on it, nor would I rule it out~!!

When the Jags accomplish anything please let me know. They've never been considered a real contender but their perennial soft schedule makes them a consistent playoff doormat.

The most underreported story from 2007 is how many pro-bowlers for the Steelers missed games or played through injuries. I know everyone has injuries but we lost some of our best players and no one talks about it.

If we're healthy last year we're playing late in the season despite the O-line concerns. We won a super bowl with Smith, Faneca, Hartings, Simmons and Starks. Last year's problem? Center - all season long. Hartwig will be a big improvement - the guy is actually a center! Is Kemo Alan Faneca from 2005? Probably not but I bet he's close to the guy we saw last year - and many say he'll be a better pass blocker.

When healthy we are better defensively than any team on our schedule. With Clark back at Safety, Timmons and Woodley both in their second year, A. Smith back at DE and McFadden pushing for more time we are better defensively this year than last year and where did we rank last year? Uh Numero Uno.

Offensively we will be better than most with a better (healthy) O-line, great rookie RB, more experienced WR group with a great rookie addition, more experienced QB and TE group.

If we lose a bunch of pro-bowlers like last year then we won't be but that's the story with alot of teams. You have to have your best players - the ones who tie up most of your salary cap - on the field.

Top to bottom there is not a more talented team in the NFL than the Steelers. But when you play several games without either starting safety (one of them considered top 3 in NFL) and then you lose your best D-linemen (also a pro-bowler) you are not going to perform well.

Alot can be said about our Super Bowl team but when it comes down to it we were healthy that year. We were healthy and we came together at the right time. Last year could have been the same way minus injuries to Clark, Polamalu, A. Smith, M.Smith, Parker, Holmes, etc? I probably missed some.

Jaguars barely beat us (thanks to a horrible missed holding call) and we started our third string left tackle, third string safety (playing out of position no less), backup RB, backup DE. Other players were playing hurt.

Healthy team: 12-4

Several pro-bowlers out like last year: 9-7 (still Division winners)

Jags? 11-5 (2nd place finish in division, early exit in playoffs) AGAIN!