2009 Recap: Pittsburgh Steelers

Entering 2009, the Pittsburgh Steelers returned all but two starters on their historic defense which propelled them to a Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals in 2008. In the off-season, the organization made it a priority to retain its own free agents including four starters on the offensive line. The team lost third receiver Nate Washington, starting cornerback Bryant McFadden, and starting inside linebacker Larry Foote to free agency.

On draft day, the team used the last pick in the first round on Missouri defensive tackle Evander “Ziggy” Hood. In the third round, the team used one of its three picks on Mississippi speedster Mike Wallace who impressed scouts with a 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine.

Offensively, the team was led by Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who already won two Super Bowls since being drafted 11th overall in 2004.

The Steelers started the season slowly, dropping two straight games to the Bears and Bengals after an opening day overtime win against the Titans. Star safety Troy Polamalu injured his knee in the first game and did not return until week six.

Even without one of the two best safeties in the NFL, the Steelers managed to put together a nice five game winning streak in which the team averaged 29.6 points per game. It was during this time that 2008 first round running back Rashard Mendenhall really emerged. He averaged 105.6 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns over this span.

Unfortunately the Steelers continued to suffer injuries on defense. Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Smith tore his rotator cuff and was placed on IR, Lawrence Timmons played through a nagging ankle injury, and Polamalu was never able to play at 100 percent.

The team’s playoff hopes took a huge hit when they went through an uncharacteristic five-game losing streak including losses to all three division opponents. Despite winning their last three games, the team was unable to qualify for the playoffs and the defending champions joined the other 19 teams watching the playoffs from home.

Roethlisberger had one of his best seasons, posting career highs in completion percentage (66.6) and yards (4,328) while throwing 26 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions.

Mendenhall showed why he was so highly touted out of Illinois in 2008. After missing nearly all of his rookie season due to Ray Lewis breaking his shoulder, Mendenhall carried the ball 242 times for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. His success made former starter Willie Parker forgettable even though he had averaged over 1300 yards between 2005-2007.

Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward formed a very solid combination at wide receiver. Ward caught 95 passes for 1,167 yards and six touchdowns while Holmes set career highs in catches (79) and yards (1,248). However, the most surprising contributor came in the form of Wallace who stepped right into Washington’s role as the team’s deep threat. Wallace racked up an impressive 756 yards on 39 catches for a remarkable 19.4 average. Tight end Heath Miller also had a bounce back season posting a 76/789/6 line.

After surrendering 49 sacks in 2008, the offensive line gave up an astounding 50 sacks. Although part of the blame falls on Roethlisberger for holding the ball too long, pass protection is still an issue for this group. As run blockers, they were average as they ranked 19th in rushing yards.

Pittsburgh’s defense was certainly not on the same level as its historic one in 2008, but it still was one of the top units in the NFL. Outside linebackers Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison both earned Pro Bowl nods as they recorded 13.5 and 10 sacks respectively. James Farrior led the team with 102 tackles while Timmons also played well despite being injured, recording 78 tackles, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles.

Casey Hampton, one of the top nose tackles in the league earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection after making 43 stops and 2.5 sacks. Brett Keisel played solid, leading the defense line in tackles with 54 while posting 3 sacks and forcing a fumble. Keep in mind that the Steelers lost arguably one of the best 3-4 ends in Smith early on and that in their system, defensive linemen are asked to hold the point of attack rather than make tackles and sacks.

Once again, this unit was excellent against the run, ranking third in rush defense at only 89.9 yards per game.

On the back end, the team struggled without Polamalu in the lineup. Starting cornerbacks William Gay and Ike Taylor combined for one interception which clearly highlighted their problem with making plays on the ball. With such feared pass rushers like Woodley and Harrison putting pressure on the quarterback, there should be no reason that the secondary had a total of 10 interceptions.

The secondary was a pretty average unit, ranking 16th overall in passing yards allowed.

Overall, the defense’s effectiveness clearly took a hit with the losses of Polamalu and Smith as they surrendered 20.3 points per game compared to only 13.9 in 2008.

Off-season Issues to Address:

1. Offensive line: The Steelers have long been known as a team that runs the ball and plays great defense. Although they are clearly shifting to a more pass-oriented attack, they still are an average to below average group on the offensive line. The team does not need someone to step in right away at the tackle spots as Willie Colon and Max Starks are still rather young, but they could use competition at any spot on the line.

2. Safety: Ryan Clark could be on his way out as an unrestricted free agent who could command a salary that the team may not want to pay. There are several safeties in the draft who could be available when the Steelers are on the clock with the 18th pick. Look out for Earl Thomas, Taylor Mays, and Chad Jones as draft possibilities.

3. Defensive Line: This year’s draft is loaded with quality defensive linemen. Hampton is a free agent who will probably be franchise tagged, however, Hampton will be 33 next season, Smith will be 34, and Keisel will be 32. Although Hood was drafted in the first round last year, the team will certainly need to think about adding a possible replacement at nose tackle as Hampton’s career winds down. Dan Williams of Tennessee and Terrence Cody of Alabama are options that could be available via the draft.