Last Season - 
 
Pittsburgh introduced the world to one of the fiercest defenses in NFL recent memory last season. The Steelers defense dominated the league leading nearly every major category. The defensive unit held opponents to 237 yards and only 13.9 points per game. The defense only gave up over 20 points on two different occasions and was the leading factor to their Championship success. Offensively the Steelers only averaged 311 yards per game. The running game was not as effective as it has been in the past, but the Steelers were committed to running the football. Ben Roethlisberger had an excellent season behind center throwing for 3300 yards and 17 touchdowns. Big Ben did also throw 15 picks on the season which gained a bit of concern. However, when things mattered most the proven quarterback was able to find standouts Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes to make the Steelers an unstoppable team. Pittsburgh of course capped off the impressive season with a 27-23 exciting Super Bowl Victory becoming the first team to ever win 6 Lombardi Trophies. 
 
Off Season -  
 
One specific area that Pittsburgh has performed so well over the years is their ability to consistently make the right moves in the off-season. Off the field decisions can be just as big as on the field decisions when keeping a team on top. Pittsburgh did a great job in this year’s draft adding some depth to their defense. Their first round selection and 32nd overall pick Evander “Ziggy” Hood was a great choice. Hood has quickness off the ball and surprising power. The Steelers defensive line is getting up their in age, and Hood is a need to be able to take over in the near future. One of the main question marks heading into the off-season was the offensive front. The Steelers had 3 offensive line starters come up for free agency at the end of the year. Pittsburgh was able to re-sign Max Starks and Willie Colon while Marvel Smith signed with the 49ers. The Steelers 2nd round pick was another great selection with Kraig Urbik. Urbik is a big guy that has a lot of upside. The talented young guard could even make a push at a starting role this season answering most question marks anyone had about the offensive line. Pittsburgh also added Mike Wallace with late 3rd round selection. Wallace helped the turn-around efforts at Mississippi and should give the Steelers the depth they need at the receiver position. In an overview, Pittsburgh did a wonderful job filling their needs over the off-season. 
 


2009 Preview -  
 
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be another one of the leading candidates to be among the premier teams in the NFL. However, the road back to the Super Bowl will be much tougher this season as a number of AFC teams appear to be on the right path. Pittsburgh has one of the easiest schedules in the AFC outside of having two match-ups with Baltimore. The Steelers may face a good test in the opening week with Tennessee, but they should be able to handle any big challenges. The offense will need another big season from Ben Roethlisberger and keep the interceptions to a minimum. Hines Ward playmaking ability will be crucial as it was for much of the 2nd half of the season a year ago. Defensively, it will be tough to put up the kind of numbers the Steelers defense put up last year. However, they will be a great group again this season which should offenses all kinds of worries. 
 
2009 Prediction -  
 
Pittsburgh will carry a lot of momentum into the start of the season, but that will be tested early. The offense got some big plays last year in big situations and it will be interesting to see if the offense can do their job again this season. The Steelers defense should be great like always, and that unit gives them the ability to win any ball game despite the play of the offense. However, the Steelers will have to battle an up and coming Baltimore team in the division. As stated before, we expect the Ravens to edge out the Steelers in the division race with identical records.  
 
Pick - 2nd in AFC North (12-4 overall)  Read the rest of our NFL previews here.