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Season 62 Power Ranking Preview - #20

by adelfish | 4 years ago | 0 Comments

Season 62 Power Ranking Preview - #20

Welcome to the 2020 Red Zone Power Ranking Preview. In this long-running preview, I will be going team at a time, ranking them 32-1, discussing the user, the team, the schedule, etc.

COVERED TEAMS: Lions, Jaguars, Bengals, Patriots, Bears, Vikings, Dolphins, Seahawks, Rams, Giants, Cowboys, Saints

Anyone ready for football yet? After RZCON 2021 I am pumped for the season to start, and pretty good timing to hit the milestone of 20 in the Power Ranking Preview. Going forward, most of these teams will have a real chance at challenging for a wild card - remember, there are 14 playoff teams now instead of the previous 12.

 

 

#20 - Pittsburgh Steelers (King John)

 

(6-10 Projected Record)

 

 

 

 

We move on to our next completely unknown at the coaching position, and the is the welcoming of King John to Red Zone. He comes from the Black Magic recommendation tree like RFox, but is entering a much more favorable situation.

The Steelers went through an injury plagued Ben Roethlisberger season last year, but their defense grew to amazing heights after trading their first round pick for Minkah Fitzpatrick, who helped transform the unit into one of the best in football.

Can Coach John continue the ascent, and challenge the Browns and Ravens in a pretty tough AFC North?

One Big Question

With new head coach King John, Pittsburgh is a major question mark. There are no doubts about the defense, as this loaded group will be the catalyst for any success under the new regime. Can Coach John lean on this group to surprise everyone?

The defense is something we are going to cover at great length throughout this preview, and for good reason. The Steelers defense is young, fast, and talented, with seemingly no ceiling of potential. The trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick that we mentioned transformed the secondary, along with their already stout front seven. Despite the loss of Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh was on the cusp of a wild card berth.

Now with Coach John, they will face an uphill battle. Long time league veteran David Sampson holds the keys in Baltimore, a division favorite and AFC contender, along with Prewitt in Cleveland. This Pittsburgh roster rivals both in terms of talent, but the coaching is a massive question mark.

With the weapons they have on offense, with James Conner, Juju Smith-Schuster, and a very impressive offensive line, developing an offense that is efficient and turnover-free will go a long way for the success of this team. There is no doubt the defense will be able to slow opposing offenses, but we know in Red Zone that it is more difficult to learn to score.

I think early on they will struggle, but based on the talent level of the Idreis Bird coaching tree, I do expect him to heat up down the stretch.

One Big Schedule Issue

I actually expect a 1-0 start for the Steelers, in a home matchup versus the New York Giants (Beech), I just think the talent level is superior.

The next four weeks on the other hand, woof...

vs Broncos (Astin)

vs Texans (Metal)

@ Titans (Roc)

vs Eagles (Adel)

I expect the Steelers to go 0-4 in this stretch, these are three former champions with good rosters, and Coach Roc with a Titans team I think very highly of. Brand new to the league, this is a murderer's row. 

1-4 will doom the Steelers more than likely, but it doesn't get any easier. They still have to play Baltimore and Cleveland twice, Dallas, Washington, Indianapolis, and Buffalo.

I do see some very winnable games, against the Bengals (2x) and Jaguars, and I do expect them to win a couple games (I could see them winning in Dallas/Washington/Buffalo) they aren't 'supposed' to. 

Overall with the current uncertainty surrounding the talent level of the coaching staff, I can't predict anything more than 6 wins for this club.

Reasons for Optimism

Starting on the defense, which I have been alluding to since the beginning, this unit is going to be the reason the Steelers win games.

In the base 3-4 defense the Steelers run, they will have two elite edge defenders in T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, two speedsters who can get after the quarterback, along with two equally talented defensive ends in Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt, who excel in run defense. The best part about this defense, is when they go nickel, they move Watt and Dupree to defensive ends, and put Heyward and Tuitt inside. This can create a ton of issues for the opposing offenses.

Only downside to this group of rushers is that they aren't locked in together for the long term, yet. Watt's deal expires in two years, Dupree and Heyward are expiring now, and Tuitt is signed for the next three seasons. Locking up Watt is paramount, and deciding between Heyward and Dupree will be one of this front office's first tough decisions.

Devin Bush and Vince Williams are a dynamic linebacker group in the middle, as Bush is one of the fastest players in the league, and Williams is very reliable in run and pass defense. The front seven is extremely athletic, and Bush will continue to develop into a star.

In the secondary, cornerback Steven Nelson has improved every year of his career, one of the best in the league last season. Joe Haden has still been great since arriving from Cleveland, and slot corner Mike Hilton is a really good third option. The duo of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds at safety is a fantastic one, as Fitzpatrick can play multiple positions. 

Offensively, James Conner has been a great threat in the backfield since the departure of Le'Veon Bell, but is in a contract year and a decision will have to be made. Juju Smith-Schuster is one of the best wideouts in football, and will likely lead the team in all statistical categories, the favorite weapon of Big Ben. Pittsburgh has some really nice developing wideouts such as Diontae Johnson and James Washington.

I really like the signing of Eric Ebron at tight end on a short term deal, who will give them a low-risk high-reward weapon in the passing game.

In the protection unit, Pittsburgh is great. Alejandro Villanueva is one of the best left tackles in the league, along with superstar guard David DeCastro. New addition at right tackle in Matt Feiler is a good one, coming from Houston. I really like the signing of Stefan Wisniewski at guard as well, he has been solid everywhere he goes.

Reasons for Negativity

One of the big issues Pittsburgh is facing is their cap situation, only freeing up $20 million next offseason. They have some big decisions coming, like James Conner, Smith-Schuster, Villanueva, Feiler, Heyward, Dupree, and Hilton. These are all in the first year, with more coming in the following offseason. 

The biggest coming cap casualty could be the agin Ben Roethlisberger, who's play and availability has started to decline. He is owed $64 million over the next two seasons, locking him in as the starter. Eating that cap number in Season 63 may be a solution for the Steelers, but they have no plan at the position after he leaves.

Maurkice Pouncey is also locked in on a big contract as his play continues to decline, owed $21 million in the next two seasons. He is the weak link of the otherwise stout offensive line.

I mentioned the potential of James Washington and Diontae Johnson earlier, but the depth behind Smith-Schuster is alarming. The Steelers simply have to retain his services, and a top ten wide receiver will command a big contract. They will be sacrificing pieces on defense to retain their top wideout.

The good news for Pittsburgh is they have two years to make a quarterback decision, and they will free up almost $140 million in cap in that year Roethlisberger is off the books. The bad news? There will only be 28 players on roster, almost none of them impact guys. A ton of decisions are coming for this Pittsburgh team.

Last Word

I like this team a lot, it has a ton of young exciting pieces on offense and defense. The cap flexibility coming in two seasons is unheard of, and the Steelers have retained all of their draft picks going forward. Simply put, it is a very good situation to be in.

Coach John has a great opportunity, because the Ravens and Browns are far from 'locks' as far as their coaches go, we have seen both of those coaching staffs struggle. Until I see anything though, I have to rank the Steelers as a third place finish in the AFC North, but with a very intriguing season ahead.