There's no doubt about it: The Steelers have a chip on their collective shoulders in 2019.
There was the Antonio Brown saga to close 2018. They also lost Le'Veon Bell in a well-publicized contract dispute. Drama circulated the team throughout 2018, and those flames intensified leading up to the Brown trade to the Raiders.
Then, add in the fact the Steelers missed the playoffs by one-half game last year. Then, for a final dose of motivation, consider that it's the Browns — not the Ravens or the Steelers — who are the odds-on favorites to win the AFC North.
With second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield alongside second-year running back standout Nick Chubb and key offseason acquisitions such as Odell Beckham, Jr., Vernon Olivier and Sheldon Richardson, the Browns are stacked on paper. The talent is there. But so is the attention.
And to that end, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher feels the Steelers may feel the benefit.
“For the first time, they [the Steelers] are kind of flying under the radar a little bit because all of the talk has been about Baker Mayfield and Odell up in Cleveland,” Cowher recently told CBS Local at NFL on CBS Media Day. “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.”
While Cowher feels the diverted attention may benefit the Steelers, he understands the loss of Brown will affect the offense. It's up to Ben Roethlisberger to steady the ship and to utilize his weapons, such as JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Vance McDonald, Donte Moncrief and James Washington. With that core and rookie Diontae Johnson, second-year back Jaylen Samuels and slot specialists Eli Rogers and Ryan Switzer also in the fold, Cowher believes Roethlisberger needs to just rely on his skills and his experience.
Now is not the time to push it or to overthink anything.
“The biggest thing is don’t try to do too much,” Cowher said. “I think he is in that mode right now where he wants to prove that 'We’re more than just those players, that we’re more of a team.' Ben looks like he is in great shape but I think the biggest thing for him is to make sure that he doesn’t try to do too much and take too much upon his own shoulders, and rely on everybody that he has.”
All that said, what does Cowher think of the Steelers' outlook? Sure, they're flying under the radar. And Roethlisberger needs to adapt. So where does that leave them?
“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."
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