Steelers '07 preview
Mike Tomlin likes to describe himself as a man who has to be measured, a competitor who enjoys "what Sunday brings." Make no mistake: He will be measured quickly in his new role as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers and not just because the man he is replacing approached iconic status in the NFL.
Tomlin inherits a team that retains most of the key players from its 2005 Super Bowl season, including a marquee quarterback, a 1,000-yard rusher and one of the most disruptive defensive players in the NFL.
"There's a winner, there's a loser," Tomlin says. "You get measured against your peers. You compete, you move on."
Tomlin, a first-time head coach, is the same age (34) as Bill Cowher was when he became coach of the Steelers – a coincidence fans hope means something. Like Cowher, Tomlin also inherits a team that did not make the playoffs the previous season.
But Tomlin, who was the defensive coordinator for Minnesota in '06, will not be short on talent. His priority will be to get his players to forget last season and get back on track for another AFC North title. The Steelers finished 8-8 but only because they won six of their final eight games.
GAME PLAN
Offense: The team will miss coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who brought the running game back to Pittsburgh and introduced a sense of balance to the offense. The promotion of wide receivers coach Bruce Arians to the role likely will mean additional production from the passing game and more reliance on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Arians wants to condense the playbook to allow Roethlisberger and the receivers more time to work on specific plays.
Defense: Tomlin, a 4-3 kind of guy, will continue using the 3-4 front in '07, though he'll inject more Cover 2 in the secondary and use less one-on-one isolation with the cornerbacks. There also will be fewer blitzes from the linebackers and, Tomlin hopes, more pressure from the line.
SPOTLIGHT PLAYERS
QB Ben Roethlisberger: The Steelers will go only as far as Roethlisberger takes them. After a glorious '04 debut in which he led the Steelers to a 13-0 start and a '05 encore in which he became the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, Roethlisberger came crashing to the ground. He came back from a preseason motorcycle accident and a preseason appendectomy to throw a league-high 23 interceptions last season. He was sacked 46 times and generally looked confused when opponents began playing lots of Cover 2 and Cover 3 defenses. Roethlisberger was tentative and uneasy in the pocket and was reluctant to run. The team hired ex-Bengals star Ken Anderson as the new quarterbacks coach to help Roethlisberger with his mechanics and confidence. The talent still is there.
C Sean Mahan: The Steelers will play this season without longtime center Jeff Hartings, who retired. He will be replaced by Sean Mahan, the team's key pickup on the free-agent market. Mahan, a converted guard from Tampa Bay, is athletic enough to replace Hartings but must improve his technique and toughness to handle some of the mammoth nose tackles in the AFC North. If Mahan staggers, look for 2006 pick Marvin Philip to get a shot.
OLB Clark Haggans: With Joey Porter leaving via free agency, responsibility will fall on Haggans, the left outside linebacker, to generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Haggans had fewer sacks last season because tackles started forcing him to the inside, where he isn't as effective. Look for LaMarr Woodley in a lot of third-down situations and in a natural rotation with Haggans.
SS Troy Polamalu; FS Anthony Smith: The strength of this secondary is Polamalu, maybe the most disruptive defensive player in the league, and Smith, a star in the making. Polamalu is the focal point of the defense, a player who hits like a linebacker and covers the field like a free safety. Coordinator Dick LeBeau gives Polamalu free rein, using him all over the field to confuse and harass quarterbacks. Smith, the team's second pick in '06, has all the tools to be an impact player – athleticism, instincts and ball reaction. He also is a big hitter and, like Polamalu, a difference-maker.
VINNIE IYER'S TAKE
Roethlisberger won't be all out of sorts again, but the defense might be with some secondary concerns and Tomlin's potential schematic adjustments.
Prediction: 7-9 (third in the AFC North).
FALL FORECAST
The Steelers still have most of the players from their '05 Super Bowl team along with such promising youngsters as Holmes and Smith. But it all comes down to Roethlisberger. If he plays like he did in '05, the Steelers are championship contenders. If Roethlisberger plays like he did in '06, the team will fight for wild-card scraps.
Gerry Dulac covers the Steelers for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Sporting News.
