Yeah, i said it. Maybe it's because I drank too much of a gift bottle of rum (Presser's British Navy Rum). but I believe it. Before you go nuts thinking of weaknesses and voicing years of steeler fan PTSD due to playoff drought, take a breath and remember. Not every Super Bowl winner was a great team, they just had everything come together at the right time. The Steelers SB win vs the crybaby Seahawks is proof of that. So are both Raven SB wins.
Remember the old joke. Two guys come across a bear in the woods. One guy says "we should run". The other guy says "We'll never outrun that bear. The first guy says "I don't need to outrun the bear, I just need to outrun you!
That's how you win the Super Bowl. You don't have to be some flawless team. You just have to find a way to win each week in the playoffs.
What's the main way to do that? It helps to be awesome. But more often than not it's more about not being terrible at any one thing. In other words, being versatile.
The Ravens are usually very good on defense and run offense. They fail in the playoffs because at some point they get in a game that goes off their script and Lamar needs to make plays from the pocket, and he's hit or miss at that.
Putting injuries aside, here's how i see the 2025 Steelers
I think the OL will be very good. That's the biggest variable. If this OL is top 10 then the Steelers are absolutely a factor. Frazier had a great rookie year. His floor is above average starter and his ceiling is one of the best in the league. I don't think he'll ever be Dermonti Dawson good, but he can absolutely be Pouncey or Hartings good. McCormick likewise looks like a solid starter. Fautanu looked great last preseason and I expect him to upgrade RT.
Broderick Jones is the question. He has the talent. His problem seems that he's too nice. Somebody needs to tell him it's OK to be a villain between the whistles. Remember the late great Hulk Hogan as Thunderlips in Rocky 3. Before and after the bout, he's super nice. But when that bell rings, he tries to kill Rocky.
Najee is a good RB but he sucks at zone runs. Tomlin's main weakness is pride. He never wants to admit he's wrong, so he was going to feed Najee the ball to prove he was right rather than to give it to the obviously better fit, Warren. Now they have Warren and Kaleb Johnson who are both perfect fits for what Arthur Smith wants to do.
I believe the Steelers will have a very good run game. Better blocking, better backs, and a more consistent passing game to open it up. That's the key to Smith offense, or any offense really. Look at Detroit, they have a reliable run game which opens things up for mediocre Jared Goof to make plays.
That's the base, a strong run game, that may take a month or so to get going but by the end of the year could be brutal. Throwback to Bettis and Barry Foster where we're running the ball and you wussies won't do **** to stop us.
With run threat established, we get to see the real Arthur Smith offense which is all about play action. Metcalf is a huge upgrade to Pickens who only played hard when he felt like it. When you have a run threat and a real WR1, it makes it easier for the rest. There's clamor for a new WR2. Maybe they'll still get one, but they're OK so long at DK stays healthy.
Look at the Eagles. They have AJ Brown and Devonte Smith. If Brown gets hurt, they're in trouble. Smith is good as a #2, but can he carry the load? He didn'tt even carry the load at Bama where he played with Ruggs, Jeudy, Waddle, and Jameson Williams. The point is that Calvin Austin or Roman Wilson pair with a strong run game and DK Metclaf can be very effective as WR2, especially with Feiermuth and Jonuu SMith in the mix.
Then there's Aaron Rodgers. He showed last year he still had the arm talent. The Jets just suck. They had no run game and Garrett Wilson and Rodgers never really clicked.
I don't think the steelers offense will be top 5 but it should be good. Rodgers, coupled with a good run game plus weapons like Metcalf, Freiermuith, Smith, Austin, Roman Wilson and Robert Woods should deliver a versatile offense that can win multiple ways. They can win when the **** hits the fan.
Defense should be top 10 at the worst, with the potential of being best in the league. Watt and Highsmith are excellent edge rushers with Herbis and Sawyer providing depth. If Harmon is a stud then the DL is hugely upgraded. They can give Cam Heyward some rest and have more rotation.
Ramsey is an ugrade to Minkah. Minkah is a good player but Ramsey is much more versatile. Slay is a really good outside man CB. JPJ could have a breakout year and Ramsey can be that chess piece they've missed since Piolamalu.
Bottom line
Excellent Defense
Good offense with a chance to be near top 10 and a QB that limits turnovers.
Here's the other main reason the Steelers are a contender.
There is no great team in the NFL. There's no Montana 49ers or Aikman Emmitt Cowboys, or Cheater Brady Patroits.
The steelers don't need to outrun the bear, they just need to outlast a few otyher flawed NFL teams.
Let the PTSD whie fest commence
Coconut water goes great with Rum.
