I agree, that's a pretty good assessment. If the Steelers can address the OL in the off-season then many will consider them the AFC favorites going in to next season.
Triggerfish - what's Pittsburgh's situation with free agents? What key players are the Steelers potentially going to lose? As I recall James Farrior is the only big name player headed to free agency.
Actually, the Steelers tied up Farrior back in August with a 5 year contract. The only "big" names that could be leaving this season are McFadden, Nate Washington, Byron Leftwich, and Charlie Batch.
I hope they make a move to re-sign McFadden, as it seems he's just starting to come into his own, and I'd hate to lose him now. I really like Nate too, and would love to see him stay as well, but tough call there. He's a very under-rated receiver, but with the organization's high expectations for Limas Sweed, it'll be interesting to see what they do with him. Of the two QBs, I'd obviously rather keep Lefty around, but he's looking for a starting gig. With so many teams in pretty dire need of a QB this offseason, I could see him landing as a starter somewhere. I don't hate Batch though. He's been a very capable replacement when he can stay healthy enough to help the team. I could see him signing a low-ball contract for another two or three years, and providing some depth while they mold the next Ben, especially if Lefty gets a good offer somewhere else.
Next season will be a "bubble" year for this team I think, as some big name veterans will be FAs. 2010 will see these guys as FA's:
Hines Ward
Casey Hampton
Brett Keisel
Willie Parker
Larry Foote
Ryan Clark
DeShea Townsend
Justin Hartwig
Jeff Reed
James Harrison
Then in 2011, these guys will be FAs;
Ike Taylor
Santonio Holmes
Lamar Woodley
Mewelde Moore
No way all of them survive. I think Ward will get one more deal for sure, Parker kinda depends on his ability to stay healthy I think, and I hope to god they can scrape enough $$ together to keep Harrison, Woodley, and Holmes around for a few more years. I have a feeling we'll be saying goodbye to some veterans though in the next year or two, no doubt.