Steelers 2021 season preview: 3 bold predictions ahead of the new campaign

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be playing regular-season football next weekend. Ahead of the 2021 season, opinions on the Steelers have ranged all across the spectrum from NFL fans. The AFC is arguably the deepest it's ever been.

The AFC North has the potential to get three playoff teams in. But the same can be said about the AFC West and AFC East. With this in mind, it's hard to predict how the Steelers will perform with the NFL's most difficult schedule. So these predictions for the Steelers will be bold. Remember, anything can happen in the NFL.

Three bold predictions for the Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 Campaign

# 1 - Steelers will finish with a top ten overall offense

The first bold prediction on this list is a leap of faith. In 2020, Ben Roethlisberger only threw for 3,803 yards. He ranked in the middle of the pack at 16th in the league. But the offense as a whole wasn't any better. For offensive yards per game, they were 22nd with a 347.5-yard average.

The reason things will be different this year is due to three things. First, Najee Harris will be an offensive rookie of the year candidate. The Steelers simply couldn't run the ball a year ago. Harris flashed what he can do for the Steelers' offense with preseason. He had insane athleticism, real quick cuts and jukes, and could turn on the jets for big plays out of the passing game.

2020 play action rate1. KC 31%2. CLE 30%Avg 26%31. JAX 18%32. Steelers 9.8% 🤯Mason Rudolph ran PA 44% tonight. Can’t wait to see what Slim Ben does…

— George Chahrouri (@PFF_George) August 6, 2021

When you have explosive talent, a good play-caller is imperative. Matt Canada is going to modernize the Steelers offense with play-action, jet sweeps, and misdirection. Concepts that the Steelers didn't use under Randy Fichtner. Teams have to be unpredictable in today's NFL, and Canada is the right man for the job.

Finally, the Steelers will throw more downfield than in 2020. The Steelers had the fifth-lowest passing yards per completion, and primarily threw screens and slants. Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool and Juju Smith-Schuster are all talented. They can run downfield, and Canada's system should open them up more.

# 2 - The offensive line will be middle of the pack

This qualifies as a bold prediction because the Steelers offensive line was thought of as among the NFL's worst entering 2021. But in pre-season, we saw a completely different-looking unit. Granted, they primarily went up against backups and didn't play against a ton of blitzes. However, there's potential to be in the middle of the pack this season.

Highest-graded offensive lines this preseason: Patriots Steelers 👀PackersColts pic.twitter.com/vIGDORvHXA

— PFF (@PFF) August 26, 2021

The offensive line is arguably the hardest position to find players in over the last handful of years. As a result, there aren't as many elite offensive lines as there were a decade ago.

Kevin Dotson allowed zero pressure on the 52 pass-blocking snaps he played. He was their best offensive lineman in 2020. The Steelers also found a diamond in the rough at left tackle Dan Moore Jr.

Moore will start at left tackle and was superb in pre-season. He was a fourth-round pick but showed great instincts in both run and pass blocking. Moore played the best out of the Steelers tackles and will be rewarded with a week-one start.

The rest of the offensive line has potential. Trai Turner was a pro-bowler for five straight years before a rough 2020. Kendrick Green was drafted as a day-one starter at center. Although he isn't projected to start week one, he has potential. If the Steelers' offensive line is in the middle of the pack, their offense is in great shape.

# 3 - Steelers will maintain a top-five defense

The Steelers' defense will look different in some key positions but will maintain a top-five defense. This week's trade for Ahkello Witherspoon will help a secondary that was desperate for another cornerback. He'll play outside opposite Joe Haden while Cameron Sutton can return to the slot where he's played previously.

#Steelers reportedly trading for CB Ahkello Witherspoon. Here are a few notes: - 80.2 grade from PFF last year- 6th rated cornerback - Played 11 games (4 starts) with 49ers in 2020- 293 snaps form outside CB- Just 3 snaps from the slot - Just $1.5M in base salary this year

— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) September 3, 2021

The pass rush that led the NFL in sacks won't lose a step, with Alex Highsmith replacing Bud Dupree. Highsmith was constantly bringing pressure during the preseason. T.J. Watt, meanwhile, is a defensive player of the year candidate.

Finally, trading for Joe Schobert was one of the smartest transactions the Steelers made. Devin Bush will need time to get back to 100 percent after his torn ACL. Schobert is a steady tackler who can help cover some short passing routes. He's their defensive play-caller in the huddle and fits the mold left behind by Vince Williams' surprise retirement.

All these predictions are bold. But the Steelers have proven doubters wrong for the entire Mike Tomlin era. They suffered a lot of roster turnover and losses on both sides of the ball. But sometimes an influx of fresh talent is what's needed. The Steelers have all the pieces to be in the AFC North race at the end of December.