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The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off back-to-back season of not making the playoffs. They finished the 2018 season with a 9-6-1 record, and followed that up with an 8-8 mark in 2019.
Seems like they are headed in the wrong direction, right?
If you ask General Manager Kevin Colbert, he would tell you how you are wrong.
In a recent interview with beat writers, Colbert said he feels better heading into 2020 compared to how he felt prior to the 2019 season. This per Brooke Pryor of ESPN:
Steelers GM Kevin Colbert: "We’re all disappointed at 8-8, but I feel better moving into 2020 than I did moving into 2019 coming off of 9-6-1."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) February 13, 2020
Is this just the GM blowing smoke, or is Colbert being serious when referring to his overall confidence of the team heading into 2020 compared to last season.
Let’s discuss.
Heading into 2019 everyone had to have an idea the offense would struggle. After all, it would be the first year without both Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown on the roster. Throw in the fact the defense wasn’t exactly shutting down opponents and the thought of not being supremely confident makes some sense.
On the flip side of that is could Colbert’s confidence in 2020 be inflated? He spoke about the defense and how this unit will be the unit to carry the team in the near future. But what about the offense? If Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t come back fully healthy, it seems as if the offense will be destined for a repeat of 2019. A life of inconsistent quarterback play, and sub-par results.
With that said, if Roethlisberger is deemed healthy, and capable of making all the throws elite NFL quarterbacks are asked to make, everyone, fans included, should be excited about the 2020 defense combined with an offense who could score at least 28 points once in a season, something the team failed to do in 2019.
Looking ahead to 2020, is Colbert’s optimism for the season justified, or is he just toeing the company line and blowing smoke? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black-and-gold as they prepare for another lengthy offseason.