Do The Steelers Have What It Takes To Turn Their Season Around?
So far in 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most frustrating teams to be a fan of. Every time they seem to have turned the corner, they follow up a win with a disappointing loss. At 2-3, can the Steelers actually turn things around?
One of the keys for the Steelers, or any team for that matter, is that they must get their best players healthy. The running game has been a struggle all season long, but with Rashard Mendenhall slowly being eased back into the starter’s role, that could change in the coming weeks. However, there are also key players such as Troy Polamalu who have been forced to miss games on the defensive side. The Steelers have always had a reputation for putting out a strong defense, but in the three losses this season, the team has allowed 26 or more points each time.
Unlike most of the other NFL teams that have limped out to slow starts, the Steelers still believe they have what it takes to get into the playoffs. Just looking at the results, it’s hard to argue with those thoughts. A few changes in the Oakland and Tennessee losses, and the Steelers would be 4-1 on the year. These are two teams Pittsburgh should not have lost to, but they can build on the fact that they handled the Jets easily, and then grinded out a victory over the Eagles.
Without their normal dominating defense, the load has been placed mostly on Ben Roethlisberger’s back. He is on pace to have his best statistical season of his career, but without a running game, it won’t really matter. A mediocre defense and a bad running game will continue to plague this team until something is fixed. If Mendenhall is truly back to being 100%, he could be a huge boost. With Polamalu looking to return as soon as Week 8, that could also help boost the defensive side of things.
The Steelers are never a team to be counted out. Division rival Baltimore is already 5-1 on the season, but the two teams still have both meetings to look forward to. If the rest of the team can help out Roethlisberger a bit more, Pittsburgh can once again get in the playoffs.
The above is a guest article written by FanDuel.com, the awesome daily fantasy sports site.