Pittsburgh Steelers: Has the offense improved enough?
By Matt Shetler
Tight End
I don’t particularly like where the Steelers are at wide receiver, but I really don’t like where they are at tight end to begin the season.
Dec. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Chicago Bears tight end Matt Spaeth (89) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Bears defeated the Cardinals 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With Miller sidelined to begin the year, the Steelers will have to rely on the likes of Matt Spaeth and David Paulson to fill Miller’s shoes.
That’s something they can’t do and without the threat of Miller being able to stretch the middle of the field, more attention can be paid to the Steelers wide receivers.
The tight end is a weapon for Roethlisberger and it’s something he doesn’t have the luxury of relying on to begin the season.
Hopefully they will be able to get by with the likes of Spaeth and Paulson, but they won’t be able to fill Miller’s shoes.
Overview
As long as their young offensive line lives up to expectations, the new playmakers on offense will provide a nice boost for the offense. Anytime you have No. 7 under center, things can turn around in a hurry. I believe the Steelers have upgraded enough to be more explosive, but they still have a ways to go to become one of the elite offenses in the game.
Health will always be a concern, especially at quarterback and the offensive line, but if the Steelers stay healthy, they should be able to put up more points on the board in the second year of Todd Haley’s offense.
The problem here is they will be relying on a lot of young players to play big roles, which usually isn’t a good thing. But talent always wins and the Steelers have at least upgraded their talent level at a few key positions.