The Pittsburgh Steelers are typically viewed as one of the strongest teams in the AFC on an annual basis, but no one really knows what to expect from them this year. Bill Cowher believes that could be a benefit to his former team.
Appearing at CBS Media Day this week, Cowher told DJ Sixsmith that all of the attention the three others teams in the AFC North have commanded this offseason has the Steelers in an unfamiliar position, which is somewhat forgotten.
“For the first time, they are kind of flying under the radar a little bit because all of the talk has been about Baker Mayfield and Odell (Beckham Jr.) up in Cleveland,” Cowher said. “Then there is Lamar Jackson’s second year in Baltimore after making the playoffs last year and then Zac Taylor coming in as the new coach in Cincinnati. That whole division has something to be looking forward to this year.”
The Steelers parted ways with Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell this offseason, so their offense is going to look much different at the very least. While losing two players of that caliber is never easy, Pittsburgh is confident James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster can build upon their success from last season. Cowher said Ben Roethlisberger needs to focus on not getting too swept up in proving the Steelers can win without Brown and Bell.
“We’ll see how they get through the preseason and whether they come through it healthy,” he said. “But, the offensive and defensive lines are very solid and if they can stay healthy, they are going to be a tough out.”
It’s clear that many with the Steelers believe the team is better off without Brown and Bell, as head coach Mike Tomlin said there has been a “cleansing” and one prominent veteran believes the locker room is closer than ever. Cowher has a point that there is a lot less attention on the Steelers heading into 2019 than in years past, and those unusually low expectations could serve as huge motivation for them.
