Steelers 2021 NFL Draft primer as they run it back with Ben Roethlisberger
By Dylan Grimm
The 2020 season was one with high expectations for the Pittsburgh Steelers with the return of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after missing fourteen games just the season prior. The Steelers got off to a very hot start to the 2020 season going 11-0 heading into week 13. Unfortunately for Steelers fans, the hot start came to a screeching halt and the Steelers went on to lose four of their next five games. The season came to an end in the wildcard round against divisional foe, The Cleveland Browns. 2020 marked the first time since the 2017 season that the Steelers secured a postseason spot and also was the first time in five years that the Steelers failed to sweep the bottom-feeding Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers got off to an 11-0 start and on paper that looks and sounds amazing but the Steelers weren’t exactly winning their games in convincing fashion and were narrowingly beating teams that were mostly below a .500 record. The 2020 season showed us that the Steelers still find their identity in the defense despite Big Ben still being around for season 18. The Steelers have always been known for superb defense and that was once again the case in 2020. The subpar offensive play was outshined and masked by a top-tier defense with guys like T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick leading the way.
Can Steelers get back to playoffs in 2021?
Big Ben was asked to carry far too much of the Steelers offensive workload in 2020 and a large reason why was due to an inconsistent and average running game. Due to the lackluster running game, Big Ben was called on to win the team games and the stats showed that. Ben attempted 608 passes which tied for the second-most of his entire career. Ben would go on to complete 65% of his pass attempts for 3,803 yards, 33 touchdown passes, and 10 interceptions which aren’t terrible numbers by any stretch of the matter.
Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft and season the Steelers will be returning quarterback Big Ben for another season which could very well be his last. Mike Tomlin is back for another season as the Head Coach and Senior VP and General Manager, Kevin Colbert got a contract extension as well.