After winning the Super Bowl in 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers came out flat last season, finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs.
Things looked good to start the season, as the Steelers started 6-2 Su but then proceeded to lose five straight games to fall at 6-7. The Steelers rallied to win their final three games but lost in the AFC Wildcard tiebreaking formula.
Once a strength of Pittsburgh’s offensive attack, the ground game came to a grinding halt last season, averaging 112.1 yards per game and finished 19th in the league. Pittsburgh also had trouble protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, as the team allowed 50 sacks last season.
The vaunted Steelers defense was up to the task, though, as it finished third in the league in rushing yards allowed. But the secondary suffered, allowing big plays at the worst times, and finishing 16th against the pass, allowing 215.4 yards per game.
The 2010 season has a lot of question marks for the Steelers, and it starts with Super Bowl-winning pivot Ben Roethlisberger. He will miss the first several weeks of the season as he serves a four to six week suspension following off the field issues. Pittsburgh will rely on either running quarterback Dennis Dixon or veteran Bryon Leftwich in the interim.
Just to add to the offensive problems, RB Charlie Parker and WR Santonio Holmes left through free agency in the offseason, while Wide out Antwaan Randle El returns.
One player Pittsburgh will be counting on this season is safety Troy Polamalu, who missed several games last season due to injury.
Bodog sportsbook has the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers regular season win projection at 8.5 wins, with the over favored at -130 and the under at +100 odds. The Steelers are at 20-1 odds to win the Super Bowl, at 10-1 odds to win the AFC Championship, and at +225 moneyline odds to win the AFC North division.
The Steelers play in the AFC North division, meaning the team will play home and away against the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns.
The AFC North is scheduled to play the AFC East and NFC South this season, which means Pittsburgh will play home games against the New England Patriots and New York Jets, and road games against the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
From the NFC South the team will tackle the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers at home, and the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.
The Steelers were the third place team from the AFC North last season so the team plays the two other third place squads in the AFC: a home game to the Oakland Raiders and a road trip at the Tennessee Titans.
Always popular on national TV, the Steelers will play in five primetime NFL games this season. The team plays New Orleans and Baltimore on the road on Sunday Night Football, the Cincinnati Bengals on the road on Monday Night Football, and host the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football and the Carolina Panthers on a special edition of Thursday Night Football game.
