Pittsburgh Steelers 2009 Season Outlook

The defending Super Bowl champions adhered to a tried-and-true mantra this offseason: If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. As such, the 2009 Steelers will look a lot like the 2008 edition, albeit with a few minor changes.

Key Departures: LB Larry Foote, CB Bryant McFadden, RB Gary Russell, S Anthony Smith, OT Marvel Smith, WR Nate Washington.

Key Acquisitions: WR Shaun McDonald (FA), CB Keiwan Ratliff (FA), DE/DT Evander Hood (Draft)

The most notable departure of the offseason was starting inside linebacker Larry Foote. With his playing time slowly diminishing due to the progress of Lawrence Timmons, Foote asked for his release and quickly signed with the Detroit Lions. Aside from this, though, the “Blitzburgh” defense that harassed opponents all of last year remains intact. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau also has a new toy to play with in 6’4, 300lb DE/DT Evander Hood, the former University of Missouri standout who can both pass rush off the edge or be a run-stopper in the middle.

Offensively, the Steelers look identical to last year – unspectacular, but solid. Wide Receiver Santonio Holmes looks to be on the verge of stardom after his Super Bowl MVP performance and Ben Roethlisberger still knows how to make big plays. Where it gets interesting for Pittsburgh, though, is in the backfield. Willie Parker has been the go-to guy for the last few seasons, but has been slowed by injuries. As such, a committee approach has been employed – look for journeyman Mewelde Moore and sophomore Rashard Mendenhall to spell Parker off.

Notable 2009 Games: The Steelers open the season with a Thursday-nighter against Tennessee, the team that handed Pittsburgh its worst loss of 2008 (a 31-14 drubbing in Week 16). The following week, Pittsburg gets a rare trip to Chicago to play the Bears at Soldier Field. And be sure to circle your calendars for November 29th and December 27th – Pittsburgh’s two inter-divisional games against heated rivals Baltimore. The Ravens are still sour from losing three games to the Steelers a year ago, including the AFC Championship.

2009 Outlook: With the Bengals and Browns mired in mediocrity, the AFC North is a two-horse race between the Steelers and Ravens. And there, history is on the side of Pittsburgh – it’s won three of the last five divisional crowns. While the Steelers’ 2009 schedule isn’t easy, the four combined games against Cincinnati/Cleveland and contests against bottom-feeders Detroit, Kansas City and Oakland suggest anything under 10 wins this year would be a disappointment.