Three Questions 1. Can Roethlisberger bounce back with an All-Pro season? Absolutely. He’s been through a lot of adversity in his career and he’s also had a ton of success on the field. Roethlisberger is older and wiser and primed for a huge season. The Steelers are a proud franchise and missing the playoffs again won’t be tolerated. 2. Can Polamalu lead the defense again? At 33, Polamalu is still an elite player. Staying healthy will be the most important factor. This is someone who has always made big plays at clutch times. With a new three-year deal, he’ll want to prove himself again. Playing with passion has never been a problem. 3. Can the Steelers contend for a Super Bowl? Don’t expect that to occur in 2014. The Steelers improved in a variety of areas, but they’re still too old at key positions and lack Pro Bowl players like they once had, especially on defense. This team could be good enough to make the playoffs, but there are too many holes to plug to be celebrating a title. at Georgia, which included 28 sacks in his final two seasons. If Porter can get Jones to improve mightily from last season, the Steelers’ defense will receive a huge bonus. This team has won games on defense in the past. To be successful in ’14, the defense must step up in a big way. Defensive Player to Watch Troy Polamalu recently turned 33 yet he was able to play every snap last season. Along the way, the veteran safety accumulated 85 tackles, two interceptions and five forced fumbles. During a stellar career with the Steelers, Polamalu has 710 tackles, 32 interceptions and 13 forced fumbles. Polamalu won The Associated Press’ defensive player of the year award in 2010, and he still has plenty left to give. Polamalu recently signed a three-year extension to remain with the Steelers, and while he’s not the same player he used to be, he can still function at an extremely high level. Polamalu’s leadership skills will be even more important on a retooled team. The Steelers are lacking All-Pro players on defense and they’ll need every ounce of Polamalu’s talent and leadership. Steelers Special Teams There are so many question marks on special teams, especially in the punt return department. Rookie Dri Archer has emerged as a potential player here, but that’s a lot of pressure for a rookie. In terms of kick return coverage, Arthur Moats should make a difference. Kicker Shaun Suisham was one of the Steelers’ most consistent players last season, going 30-for-32 on field goals and 39-for-39 on extra points. Suisham was 8-for-8 from 40- to-49 yards and he didn’t attempt one field goal from 50 yards and beyond. When the Steelers needed a big kick, Suisham came through. Punter Brad Wing will need to find more consistency and place the ball inside the 20- yard line more often. If the kick and punt coverage units perform well, the Steelers will gain big dividends. TEAM ROSTER STEELERS DEPTH CHART OFFENSE QB Ben Roethlisberger Bruce Gradkowski RB Le’Veon Bell LeGarrette Blount FB Will Johnson WR Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton Lance Moore Justin Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey TE Heath Miller Matt Spaeth C Maurkice Pouncey Cody Wallace RG David DeCastro Wesley Johnson LG Ramon Foster David Snow RT Marcus Gilbert Mike Adams LT Kelvin Beachum Guy Whimper DEFENSE LDE Cam Thomas Stephon Tuitt RDE Cameron Heyward Nick Williams LOLB Jarvis Jones Arthur Moats ROLB Jason Worilds Chris Carter LILB Ryan Shazier Vince Williams RILB Lawrence Timmons Terence Garvin CB William Gay, Cortez Allen Ike Taylor, Isaiah Green S Troy Polamalu, Mike Mitchell Shamarko Thomas, Robert Golden SPECIAL TEAMS K Shaun Suisham P Brad Wing KR Dri Archer
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