Early Assessment of the 2006 Season

[ClosingTime]

As a lifelong Red Sox fan and an existentialist, I am always prepared for dissapointment.
With regard to the Steelers, they have a very tough schedule and I do put CIncy in the top 5 teams so it will be a battle. I don't see any way the Steelers win homefield throughout but I do expect them to take the division. I expect Rothlisberger to continue to grow. He was hurt a lot last season, both his knees and his thumb was fractured. HE showed a lot of growth last season and I think he will show great strides this season. Usually it takes until the third year of playing QB for it to click. Remmeber, Brady really wasn't a great QB till his third year. First SB he had a good drive late in the SB and late in the Raiders game but evryone called him a simply a game manager too.
The defense won't slip and is easily in the top five in the league and that is the best indicator of maintaining a high level of play.
That all said, with the schedule I see 11-5 for the Steelers. One bad loss though could slip them off the division title and I don't see a wildcard team coming out of the North this year. Schedule is too tough and other divisions have much easier roads.

 

[PonyExpress]

You are going to be surprised at this, by I have never called Roethlesberger a game manager. Me and my buds watched Ben in the Dallas game in '04 and immediately annointed him the 2nd best QB in the league even then, premature as it sounds. So nothing he does surprises me. But, I think he could be better this year, and the team be a bit worse, a la Brady last year. Maybe 8-8 is a too much of a gamble... 10-6 was my gut before I went through the schedule. But they will be facing a division whose teams have been constructed specifically to compete with them and will be frothing at the mouth, plus Miami (a win), at Jax, at SD, at Atlanta, Denver, TB, at Carolina... the schedule is beyond brutal.

 

[PonyExpress]

Another thing to consider about Roethlisberger: In 2004 he had his shoulder injured on a late hit by T. Suggs late in the season, then played in the playoffs with what he said was a broken toe, plus a damaged thumb in his throwing hand. Last year he took two hits to his knees, one questionable vs SD, one dirty vs Cinci. He has a beer gut and his workout habits have been reported as not ideal. IOW, he has a propensity for taking big hits, nagging injuries and perhaps a lack of ideal workout habits. Can Pittsburgh expect him to stay healthy for the whole 2006 season? judging from the past, not likely. The Steelers are facing some serious pass rushing teams next year with TB, Carolina, ATL, SD... If Pitt intends to rely more on his passing skills, he will be more liekly mto take hits (see Brady last year). Plus, Pitt's running game has some ?? this year...

 

[ClosingTime]

If ben goes down obviously all bets are off. But that's the same as with any team if they lose their starting QB.

 

[spacecrime]

KC's line is still dominant. LJ is a top 5 back. Gonzalez, Green make that offense potent. Can Edwards get the D to play better? I think enough to make the playoffs and then they are a dangerous team.

Hey, it can happen, but all those guys you are talking about were there last couple of years and they didn't do a whole lot. Forgive me if I laugh about Edwards bringing to the Chiefs that magic he had with the Jets. Edwards is a great guy, a wonderful person, and I love his press conferences. I will also miss him as an AFCE head coach. He and Billick have to be the most over-rated coaches in the history of over-rated coaches.

 

[PonyExpress]

If ben goes down obviously all bets are off. But that's the same as with any team if they lose their starting QB.

But Ben has shown a propensity to get injured, despite throwing the fewest passes of any starting QB over the last two years- the chance for injury which will only increase as more is asked of him in the passing game, and with the running game more of a ?. Just something to keep in mind.