The Steelers Are Being Overlooked

There are under 50 days to go before the 2015 NFL season kicks off, and the excitement all across the country is palpable. Sports media has slowly but surely turned its main focus back to football, fantasy leagues are beginning to form up and draft, and the preseason schedule will be underway in a matter of weeks. But for Steelers fans, the early build-up to the 2015 season has been somewhat frustrating.

That’s because the Steelers, who’ve spend the better part of the past decade and-a-half proving that they’re almost always able to compete, are largely being counted out and forgotten by the media. This is evident in everyday sports coverage. If you read ESPN’s football section or tune in to sports talk shows on TV or the radio, you’re probably familiar with the main stories heading into the year: the Patriots with Tom Brady suspended, the Broncos with Peyton Manning aging, the Colts with Andrew Luck growing up, and the Cowboys for no reason in particular. Not many people seem to be talking about the Steelers.

Unfortunately, this is also evident in some of the official betting projections that are emerging for the 2015 season. Betfair’s betting section has already published an early report predicting Super Bowl contenders. The company has listed six top contenders, the Seahawks, Packers, Cowboys, Colts, Patriots, and Broncos, in that order, without any mention of the Steelers. In fact, the article even threw in the Ravens (despite only giving them 23/1 Super Bowl odds) as a team that’s “always dangerous when it comes to the playoffs.”

Now, personal bitterness aside, it’s difficult to contend with that batch of teams (though I don’t quite get the inclusion of the Ravens). Those top-six have pretty good arguments as the six best teams in the NFL, at least from a preseason perspective. But I also believe that the Steelers deserve a mention as perhaps one of the second-tier contenders most likely to emerge as a true playoff challenger. Here are three reasons why.

1. Le’Veon Bell Will Be The Best Runner In Football

Yes, Le’Veon Bell is battling a suspension for a DUI and pot use, and that’s not the best look for a young player. He may miss three games, which would hurt his season totals in production. But this is no reflection on his ability, and when he’s on the field, I expect Le’Veon Bell to be the best running back in the game. He might have been a year ago, though DeMarco Murray had a sensational year with a better O-line by a fairly wide margin. With Bell in the backfield, the Steelers offense will be armed with the rare gift of an elite weapon that could go off at any time.

2. Passing Defense Has Been Addressed

Last year’s defense was pretty miserable against the pass, and the Steelers still won the division. Well, pass defense was addressed in large part through the draft. While some perceived the Steelers’ draft as disappointing, the top two picks—Kentucky’s Bud Dupree and Mississippi’s Senquez Golson—should help to pressure quarterbacks and receivers, respectively. The team also brought back James Harrison, and while there’s no telling how NFL-ready he’ll be, if he’s on the field he’ll probably be an asset.

3. Improvement Is Logical

Young players improve with experience, and I almost feel as if people have forgotten already how young the Steelers’ offensive core is. Sure, Big Ben has been around for a while, but he’s still enormously productive on his better days. The important number isn’t his own age (33) but rather, 25.8. That’s the average age of the five main skill players surrounding Roethlisberger (Martavis Bryant, Antonio Brown, Marcus Wheaton, Le’Veon Bell, and Heath Miller). If these guys are still getting better, the Steelers’ offense could become frighteningly good.

Given all that, I see no reason this team can’t contend. But perhaps being largely overlooked in preseason coverage will just provide some extra motivation.