
QB
(+) He’s got a ton of talent, he’s huge (6’5”, 241 lbs), and he’s only 28-years old
(+) Despite a weak O-Line, he has shown really strong poise in the pocket and is very tough to bring down
(+) A solid run game around him should help keep defenses honest
(–) Pittsburgh lost a great playmaker in Santonio Holmes, but 2nd year standout Mike Wallace is ready to step in
(–) Off-the-Field issues have put him into a suspension that will last somewhere between 4-6 games
(–) The O-Line was already in very poor shape, and they just lost their best OL Willie Colon for the year
Dennis Dixon
Charlie Batch
RB
(+) Will begin the year as the clear-cut starter with no real backup looking to take carries away
(+) Mike Tomlin and the Steelers front office have completely re-committed to the run
(+) Ben Roethlisberger will be out for the first 4-6 games, which should lead the Steelers to depend on Rashard even more
(+) Averaged 85.2 rushing yards, 100.8 total yards and had 8 total TDs in the 13 games he was the primary ball-carrier in 2009
(–) His best O-Lineman in Willie Colon went down for the year
(–) Mendenhall plays in one of the toughest divisions against the run
(–) Defenses may crowd the box in the first 4-6 games with Leftwich as the QB and Santonio Holmes gone
(+) Started out as a 1st-round talent coming into the draft, but fell into the 6th round due to a poor combine and unknown medical concerns. He’ll have something to prove
(+) A bruiser at 5’11”, 229 lbs, Dwyer can break tackles as good as anyone and might end up taking the goal-line duties from Mendenhall
(+) Was a sprinter coming out of High School, so even though he’s 30 lbs heavier now, there’s still speed in those massive legs
(+) If something were to happen to Mendenhall, Dwyer would have a shot at being the starter on a good running Steelers team
(–) Dwyer has a tendency to lose his muscular structure and fall out of shape from time to time
(–) Realistically, the guy has no chance of taking the starting job from Rashard Mendenhall
(–) Played in a “college-style” option offense at Georgia Tech, so will need time to adapt to the Pro game
WR
(+) Hines is more likely to miss a game for a charity event than a broken tibia
(+) For the first 4-6 games of the season, he’ll be Byron Leftwich’s guy
(+) Despite his age, he’s actually gotten better over the past three years
(+) Ward has a never-say-die attitude and can absolutely RUIN you on any given play
(–) No Roethlisberger could spell trouble
(–) Ward is a post-prime player on what could be a post-prime team
(–) Pittsburgh has the second toughest pass schedule in the league
(+) Wallace now becomes a starter and is the only legit deep threat with Santonio Holmes jettisoned to New York
(+) As a 3rd-round pick, Mike burst onto the scene last year and was one of the best sleepers in 2009
(+) Wallace actually led the league in YPC (19.4 YPC, DeSean Jackson was 2nd at 18.6)
(+) At the combine, Wallace ran a 4.33 40-yard dash despite weighing a robust 200 lbs
(–) Big Ben is suspended for the 1st 6 games (could be 4), so the Steelers will likely turn to the run-game to start off the year
(–) He might be a burner, but he’s not a very good route-runner – basically just a fly-guy
(–) Could be primed for a Sophomore Slump with expectations so high
TE
(+) Miller is a great blocker and has amazing hands, two very important ingredients for staying on the field
(+) The loss of Santonio Holmes should put some extra targets in Miller’s pocket, and when you catch a high percentage of balls thrown your way… that spells points
(+) Heath is a great Red Zone threat (tied for first in the league with 9 caught balls inside the 10-yard line)
(–) Big Ben is going to be missing for 4-6 games, which could cut sharply into Millers production this year
(–) The O-Line really struggles to protect in passing downs, though Big Ben’s size hides this weakness; with Ben out, they may need to keep Miller in to block more often
(–) Pittsburgh has a dreadful Pass Schedule sitting at 31st in the league































