As Bob Dylan once said, the times they are a changing. Once upon a time, the Pittsburgh Steelers were built around their defense. They were hard hitting monsters that shut down opposing quarterbacks with ease. They were ball hawkers that harassed opposing running backs. But the script has flipped in today's NFL and the Steelers are now entirely built around their explosive offense.
Pittsburgh's offense finished the 2015 regular season ranked third in yards per game (395.4) and fourth in points (26.4). The defense, on the other hand, finished 21st (363.1) and 11th (19.9), respectively. Despite the disparity, improved health and a few key additions could push the Steelers back into Super Bowl contention next season.
"Pittsburgh is the closes it has been to a Super Bowl since the 2010 appearance against Green Bay," ESPN Steelers reporter Jeremy Fowler wrote. "The defense isn't all the way there yet, but it's better than some think. For the offense, it's all about injuries, not personnel. If the running backs stay healthy and the line is relatively intact, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Brown and the passing game can do the rest. Pittsburgh took the loss to Denver harshly. This year will fuel them for another run."
Star running back Le'Veon Bell appeared in just six games this past season due to suspension and injury. Backup DeAngelo Williams, who found the fountain of youth as his replacement, went down late in the season due to injury as well. With a healthy Antonio Brown, the rapidly ascending Martavis Bryant and the capable Markus Wheaton and Sammie Coates, the Steelers boast arguably the most impressive collection of offensive skill position players of any team in the league.
Assuming Roethlisberger has his full complement of playmakers in 2016, there's no reason why Pittsburgh can't ride one of the NFL's most dangerous offenses straight into the post-season and possibly to the Super Bowl.
