The Pittsburgh Steelers are quickly figuring out that time waits for no man.
Guys such as Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and Brett Keisel have been stalwarts of the Steelers defense for years, but it became clear, especially during the playoffs, that Pittsburgh desperately needed to get younger. The Baltimore Ravens were faced with the same problem, only they managed to win a Super Bowl before starting the rebuild.
This past offseason, the team released Keisel and allowed Taylor to walk in free agency. Polamalu retired earlier in the month.
Even defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau wasn't spared. The legendary coach resigned in January.
Just as it took awhile to adjust to a Ravens defense without Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, watching the Steelers' transition will take some getting used to.
The AFC North is pretty much up for grabs, though, with the Cincinnati Bengals not doing a ton to improve and the Baltimore Ravens losing Torrey Smith and Haloti Ngata.
The Steelers will have some growing pains as their defense gets younger, but a playoff spot isn't out of the question.
| Pittsburgh Steelers' 2015 Regular-Season Schedule | ||||
| 1 | 9/10 | at New England Patriots | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 2 | 9/20 | vs. San Francisco 49ers | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 3 | 9/27 | at St. Louis Rams | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 4 | 10/1 | vs. Baltimore Ravens | 8:25 p.m. | CBS/NFL Network |
| 5 | 10/12 | at San Diego Chargers | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 6 | 10/18 | vs. Arizona Cardinals | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 7 | 10/25 | at Kansas City Chiefs | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 8 | 11/1 | vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 9 | 11/8 | vs. Oakland Raiders | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 10 | 11/15 | vs. Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 11 | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE |
| 12 | 11/29 | at Seattle Seahawks | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 13 | 12/6 | vs. Indianapolis Colts | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 14 | 12/13 | at Cincinnati Bengals | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 15 | 12/20 | vs. Denver Broncos | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 16 | 12/27 | at Baltimore Ravens | 8:30 p.m. | NBC |
| 17 | 1/3 | at Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Source: NFL.com | ||||
As much as the defense remains in flux somewhat, the Pittsburgh offense shouldn't have any trouble firing on all cylinders in 2015. It's a unit that Football Outsiders ranked second in the league last year.
Perhaps it's a bit unrealistic to expect Ben Roethlisberger to throw for 4,952 yards and 32 touchdowns again. However, Antonio Brown is in the prime of his career. Le'Veon Bell shouldn't have a demonstrable decline either.
Martavis Bryant could also be a major X-factor in the passing game. He emerged as a major deep threat in 2014, catching 26 passes for 549 yards and eight touchdowns.
"We are looking for him to come in and make a push against Markus Wheaton for that No. 2 spot and continue give us big-time production, specifically in the red area where a big target like that can make a big impact," said Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley in a Steelers Nation fan-forum session, per Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
As mentioned earlier, nobody is really standing out from the rest of the pack in the AFC North, and every team has an issue or a number of issues that could prevent it from reaching the playoffs.
It's entirely possible that the Steelers take a slight step back in 2015 but manage to still win the division.
Pivotal Matchups
Take your pick when it comes to potentially pivotal matchups. According to NFL on ESPN, the Steelers have the second-toughest road schedule and toughest overall schedule in the league:
NFL on ESPN @ESPNNFLBased on opponent win percentage in 2014, the @steelers have the toughest schedule in 2015. »
Pittsburgh has the luxury of playing not only one but both of the respective conference champions—on the road, no less. The Steelers will certainly have their hands full with the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots away from home.
The Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers will also be tricky road opponents.
The home slate doesn't get much easier either. Pittsburgh plays the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers at Heinz Field.
You wouldn't expect the Steelers to beat all eight of the teams mentioned above, but a 5-3 or 6-2, depending on their division record, might be necessary for them to remain in playoff contention.
