PITTSBURGH STEELERS

2012 Odds:
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Odds to Win AFC North: 6/5
Odds to Win AFC Championship: 7/1
Odds to Win Super Bowl XLVII: 14/1
Regular Season Wins Over/Under: 10

2012 Preview:
Offense:
Much was made about former coordinator Bruce Arians’ aversion to the running game, and new offensive coordinator Todd Haley (who was the head coach of the run-heavy Chiefs) seems to have been brought in to correct that. The Steelers have a big, man-blocking line and Haley prefers the committee approach. With Rashard Mendenhall recovering from a torn ACL, Isaac Redman will get a heavy workload early in the season. Jonathan Dwyer figures to take a chunk of the early down reps. Redman can handle third down duties, though Baron Batch could push him for that role. Batch might have held that role a year ago had he not torn his ACL.

Haley used to oversee the Cardinals’ offense, so he’s not lost in the passing game. Expect a lot of three-receiver sets and spread principles, with Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown on the outside and Emmanuel Sanders in the slot. Ben Roethlisberger’s trademark is improvising and stretching out plays. Wallace might more often be the primary target, but Brown has shown more of an ability to shake open once the play breaks down. Sanders will be the primary target in the middle of the field. Tight end Heath Miller often stays in to protect. When the Steelers throw near the goal line, it’s often play-action to someone in the middle of the field (Miller or the slot receiver, possibly Sanders now). Wallace’s and Brown’s roles are usually minimized once the Steelers drive deep into opponent territory, unless Roethlisberger is buying time on a broken play.

Defense:
The Steelers were tied for ninth in the league in sacks despite a rash of injuries to their linebackers. Although they forced an NFL-low 15 turnovers in 2011, Pittsburgh still led the league in scoring defense and yardage defense—the schedule is kind enough to allow for a repeat of these numbers. Lawrence Timmons’ numbers were down last year because of a move to outside linebacker for about a third of the season. He’ll play inside full time in 2012, and his numbers could revert closer to where they were in 2010. Troy Polamalu, meanwhile, looked a half-step slow by the end of last season due to all the nagging injuries he’s been dealing with. He appears to finally be on the decline.

Key Offseason Moves:
ADDITIONS
TE Leonard Pope (from Chiefs)
LB Brandon Johnson (from Bengals)

SUBTRACTIONS
RB Mewelde Moore (Colts)
WR Hines Ward (retired)
WR Arnaz Battle (released)
T Jamon Meredith (Buccaneers)
T Jonathan Scott (Lions)
G Chris Kemoeatu (released)
DE Aaron Smith (released)
LB James Farrior (released)
CB William Gay (Cardinals)
CB Bryant McFadden (released)

2012 Schedule:
2012 Schedule Strength: 19.69 (24th toughest in NFL)
Week 1 - at Denver
Week 2 - New York Jets
Week 3 - at Oakland
Week 4 - BYE WEEK
Week 5 - Philadelphia
Week 6 - at Tennessee
Week 7 - at Cincinnati
Week 8 - Washington
Week 9 - at New York Giants
Week 10 - Kansas City
Week 11 - Baltimore
Week 12 - at Cleveland
Week 13 - at Baltimore
Week 14 - San Diego
Week 15 - at Dallas
Week 16 - Cincinnati
Week 17 - Cleveland

StatFox Take: Pittsburgh has some question marks, especially on the offensive end with the injury rehab for RB Rashard Mendenhall, and WR Mike Wallace holding out for a long-term contract. However, this team always finds a way to produce, outgaining their opponents by more than 100 yards per game last season and winning a dozen games despite scoring just 20.3 points per game. The defense will win a few games single-handedly, and if Ben Roethlisberger can stay healthy, his career 80-33 record (.708) as a starter speaks for itself.
Prediction: OVER 10 wins (-115)

All NFL Previews

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South
Houston Texans - Thursday, August 9
Indianapolis Colts - Friday, August 10
Jacksonville Jaguars - Saturday, August 11
Tennessee Titans - Sunday, August 12

AFC West
Denver Broncos - Monday, August 13
Kansas City Chiefs - Tuesday, August 14
Oakland Raiders - Wednesday, August 15
San Diego Chargers - Thursday, August 16

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys - Friday, August 17
New York Giants - Saturday, August 18
Philadelphia Eagles - Sunday, August 19
Washington Redskins - Monday, August 20

NFC North
Chicago Bears - Tuesday, August 21
Detroit Lions - Wednesday, August 22
Green Bay Packers - Thursday, August 23
Minnesota Vikings - Friday, August 24

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons - Saturday, August 25
Carolina Panthers - Sunday, August 26
New Orleans Saints - Monday, August 27
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tuesday, August 28

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals - Wednesday, August 29
San Francisco 49ers - Thursday, August 30
Seattle Seahawks - Friday, August 31
St. Louis Rams - Saturday, September 1