What Will the Steelers Offense Look Like in 2016?

Looking back at the 2015 NFL season, Steeler fans probably have mixed emotions. On one hand, they made the playoffs. On the other, Pittsburgh lost Le’Veon Bell for the remainder of the season in a Week 8 loss, the offense regressed mightily when Ben Roethlisberger missed four games midway through the year, and their defense was statistically one of the weakest in the league. But hey, playoffs are expected in Pittsburgh; Super Bowls are the goal.

Pittsburgh is near the top in most Super Bowl LI odds. Getting key players back from injury, along with what is expected to be an improved defense, is inspiring moving forward after last year’s Divisional Round loss. Losing Martavis Bryant for the year because of repeated violations to the NFL’s substance abuse policy wasn’t expected, but once again – this time from the beginning of camp – Pittsburgh will be without the services of an impact player.

Let’s look at who the Steelers offense could line up with in 2016.

Quarterback – Ben Roethlisberger is still sporting the black and gold, and at 34 years of age, a healthy Big Ben oozes confidence and possesses the skills to lead this team to a Super Bowl.Roethlisberger threw for 3,938 passing yards and 21 touchdowns in only 12 games last year. Getting Maurkice Pouncey and Le’Veon Bell back complements Roethlisberger in an invaluable way.

Running Backs – There are many teams in the NFL that use some sort of running back-by-committee approach. Some prefer to do like New England and rotate handfuls of players during the course of the year. Others, like the Steelers, have a workhorse (Le’Veon Bell), but also a relief runner (DeAngelo Williams) that can share the field with the main back at times, but also carry the load if needed. I’m not comfortable with calling players like DeAngelo Williams a “backup” simply because he’s behind Bell on the depth chart, who is arguably the best running back in the league. Bell rushed for 556 yards and three touchdowns in only six games last season, and also caught 24 passes for 136 yards. After Bell went down with an injury, Williams capitalized on the increased snaps and extra touches when he rushed for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“Roethlisberger surveys the field from the shotgun, flanked by Bell and Williams ..”

Wide Receivers/Tight End – How many of the 32 teams can claim the best wide receiver in the NFL? Pittsburgh leaps to the front with their answer, thanks to Antonio Brown. Steelers’ fans know of his consistent greatness, having witnessed him grow from a sixth round pick into a record-breaking machine. Brown broke two personal records last season while catching 136 passes for 1,834 receiving yards, surpassing career-highs he set in 2014. Brown also had 10 touchdowns. Opposite Brown will be Markus Wheaton, who tallied 44 catches for 749 yards and five touchdowns last season. This was the most productive season of Wheaton’s young career, capitalizing on great chemistry with Roethlisberger. 2015 third round pick Sammie Coates will also look to have a big year. Coates only had one catch in the regular season, but managed two catches for 61 yards in the playoffs. Heath Miller’s retirement takes a piece of our Steelers’ heart with him, but Ladarius Green will be a nice replacement for the departed veteran. Last season in San Diego, Green caught 37 passes for 429 yards, scoring four times. Jesse James, a 2015 fifth round selection, will also look to make contributions from the tight end position. He caught only eight passes during his rookie campaign, but with his 6’7”, 260 lbs. frame, it’ll be hard to contain his combination of unmatchable size and speed.

“..With Antonio Brown flexed to his left, Roethlisberger barks instructions to Markus Wheaton and Ladarius Green to his right..”

Offensive Line – Pro Bowler David DeCastro leads a Steelers offensive line that helped put Pittsburgh over the top last year, with an offense that ranked second in the league in net yards per game with 402.9. Maurkice Pouncey, a 2014 Pro Bowl selection, is set to return after missing this past season due to surgery. During the summer of 2014, Pittsburgh made Pouncey the highest paid center in the league. All good offenses start up front with the big guys, and the Steelers have good experience and great continuity with Roethlisberger’s personal security.