Pittsburgh Steelers’ fans are used to being envied. The Steelers are an almost perennial playoff team and have a record six Super Bowl trophies, including two titles since 2005. This success means that their fans will be fairly unaccustomed to the dark cloud hanging over Pittsburgh this offseason.

Not only did the Steelers miss out on the playoffs, but they also saw two of their divisional rivals, the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals, make the postseason, with the former eventually lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy. Throw into the mix the aging defense, inconsistent offense and salary cap constraints, and you can see the challenge that lays ahead for the Steelers’ front office.

Pittsburgh may not have been at their vintage best at any point last season, the loss of Ben Roethlisberger for several games due to injury was almost directly responsible for their omission from the playoffs. If the importance of keeping Roethlisberger upright and healthy wasn’t clear before, it certainly is now.

By drafting David DeCastro and Mike Adams last year, General Manager Kevin Colbert will be fairly confident he has a good, young offensive line developing, especially with the likes of Maurkice Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert already on the roster. If Colbert can find the cap space, a far from easy task, he may look to add a veteran guard in free agency and add some much needed experience to the unit.

Indeed, finding salary space will be an unenviable challenge for Colbert, with Pittsburgh’s top 10 salaries currently accounting for just over $100 million. The consequences of this will almost certainly see wide receiver Mike Wallace hit free agency, and unless serious salary cap sacrifices are made, the Steelers will struggle to enthuse youth into their ageing defense in free agency.

Pittsburgh’s arch-rivals, the Ravens, have had similar issues in recent years, coping with an ageing defense and relatively little cap room. As much as Steelers’ fans will not want to hear it, they could learn a lot from the Ravens, and their GM Ozzie Newsome, who have arguably coped with these issues much better than the Steelers.

Pittsburgh defensive veterans Troy Polamalu, Ryan Clark, Ike Taylor, James Harrison and Brett Keisel are all now well into their 30s and will account for nearly $40 million in cap space in 2013.

Offensively, the loss of Bruce Arians as offensive coordinator last season and the arrival of Todd Haley, hurt the Steelers. The deep threat of Wallace was rarely used and Pittsburgh were uncharacteristically poor in their running game, ranked 26^th in the NFL. This was certainly not helped by the mercurial form of the Steelers’ running backs, with no back in particular shining consistently throughout the season.

Once again, Colbert will be limited as to what he can do offensively in free agency. Along with Head Coach Mike Tomlin, he will need to decide whether or not there is a running back currently with the Steelers of starting quality, whilst a slot receiver in the mould of Wes Welker would be a perfect fit for Haley’s offense, but neither will come cheap, and instead may be looked for in the draft.

Even with all the challenges that face the Steelers in this offseason, a team which features a player of Roethlisberger’s quality at quarterback, and a coach as talented as Tomlin, will undoubtedly be competitive next season. With the team continuing to age on defense however, this offseason, and specifically the draft, could prove to be critical in ensuring long-term competitiveness with both the Ravens and the Bengals in the AFC North.

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Although the Pittsburgh Steelers have had one of the most vaunted defenses in the NFL in recent years, their offensive performances arguably deserve even more credit when considering their glaring weakness – the offensive line.

Pittsburgh took significant steps towards addressing this issue in the first two rounds of the draft, bringing in two potential starters in guard, David DeCastro, and tackle, Mike Adams. They will also have high hopes for linebacker, Sean Spence, their third round draft pick, who will bring some much needed youth to an aging defense.

Due to a lack of cap space the Steelers were unable to make any serious additions to their roster in free agency and were unable to bring back defensive veterans, Aaron Smith and James Farrior. Along with neither Farrior nor Smith returning, defensive stars James Harrison, Ike Taylor, Casey Hampton and Troy Polamalu are all well into their 30’s and questions have been raised about how effective the defense can be this year.

With the defense aging and the general development of the NFL into a passing-orientated league, focus will be firmly upon Ben Roethlisberger and the offense. Although ‘Big Ben’ is undoubtedly one of the best quarterbacks in the league when he escapes the pocket, and has shown incredible durability when you consider how often he takes hits, he needs an offensive line which will be able to keep him upright and allow him to remain healthy throughout the season.

The offensive line hasn’t been at its best this preseason, perhaps unsurprisingly, given the turnover of personnel, but both DeCastro and Adams have huge potential at their respective positions and do have the ability to start in the NFL. It may take them a few regular season games to get fully up to speed with the professional game, but expect Roethlisberger to have much better pass protection this season than he did in 2011.

Unfortunately for Head Coach, Mike Tomlin, the defense and offensive line are not his only concerns heading into the season, but also his receiving corps, which may be without their best deep threat in Mike Wallace. The star wide receiver has yet to report to training camp, and although the Steelers still have a good unit of receivers including Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, his presence has been missed in the preseason games.

Pittsburgh is a team that no matter the adversities they face, they always seem to be competitive, and don’t expect this season to be any different. They face challenges on both the offense and defense but should still be able to finish the season with a record somewhere in the region of 9-7, and will consider anything other than a trip to the playoffs as unsuccessful. Unfortunately for Steelers fans, they could be facing another season of finishing below arch-rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, and could find themselves in a battle with the Cincinnati Bengals for the second spot in the AFC North.

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New York and Pittsburgh, U.S.A. – PepsiCo announced on July 23, 2012, a multi-year relationship with the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the franchise’s exclusive non-alcoholic beverage, salty snacks and sports fuel provider. The deal marks the Steelers first partnership with PepsiCo’s expanded portfolio, which includes iconic brands such as Pepsi, Frito-Lay and Gatorade.

As part of the new sponsorship, PepsiCo will gain exclusive selling, dispensing and serving rights at Heinz Field; fixed stadium signage; venue and team sponsor assets; integration into the team’s mobile, TV and digital assets; and local media and retail promotional opportunities. The stadium conversion will be complete by the start of the Steelers’ 2012 season.

PepsiCo will also be introducing a limited-edition commemorative Pepsi MAX can in honor of the Steelers’ 80th anniversary, available throughout Pennsylvania beginning in the fall.

“We can’t wait to begin working closely with the Steelers, one of the NFL’s most iconic franchises, and be part of such a celebrated team with some of the league’s most passionate fans,” said PepsiCo North America Beverages Chief Marketing Officer Simon Lowden. “Our vast portfolio of food and beverage products will bring a lot of enjoyment to the Steelers’ community and we’re looking forward to partnering closely with the team on new initiatives. The Steelers organization is topnotch and shares our creative marketing vision.”

“We are excited about our new partnership with PepsiCo – a world-class company with a unique understanding of sports and what football fans want,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II. ”I’m sure our fans will enjoy the many promotions that we will have through our relationship with PepsiCo, which this year includes a commemorative 80th Season can that will be part of celebrating a significant year in Steelers history. We are thrilled to start this new partnership and look forward to making it entertaining for our fans to enjoy all of PepsiCo’s products.”

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) kept up the pressure on the Baltimore Ravens at the top of the AFC North with a 27-0 victory over the struggling St. Louis Rams (2-13). The victory was even more impressive considering quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was still inactive as the Steelers seek to ensure ‘Big Ben’ is fully healthy for the rapidly approaching playoffs.

The Steelers quickly moved into the lead, scoring a field goal in the first quarter, and extending their lead to 10 points in the second quarter when rookie running back, John Clay, ran in a 10-yard touchdown. With just a solitary field goal in the third quarter, Pittsburgh entered the fourth quarter with a 13-point lead, and their defense on top of the Rams underpowered offense.

Although struggling in the passing game, the Rams had some success on the ground with running back, Steven Jackson, finishing with 103 yards on 24 carries. This was not enough to claw the game back for St. Louis, however, and they soon fell further behind in the final quarter with rushing touchdowns for both Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman.

Steelers Head Coach, Mike Tomlin, will be pleased with the performance of Mendenhall in the absence of Roethlisberger, as the tailback finished the game with 116 yards on just 18 carries, and was one of the key components in a comfortable victory for Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh offensive line did well to protect quarterback Charlie Batch too, despite Batch lacking the ability of Roethlisberger to keep plays alive, and allowed no sacks on the back-up quarterback. Despite throwing an interception, Batch was also fairly accurate passing the ball, completing 15 of his 22 attempts, for a total of 208 yards. Should Roethlisberger still not be totally healthy for the Steelers last game of the regular season, Batch’s accuracy may make Tomlin’s decision to rest his star quarterback for the playoffs much easier.

The famed Pittsburgh defense was also on form, with Lawrence Timmons, Ziggy Hood, and James Harrison all registering sacks on Kellen Clemens, whilst the Steelers secondary and pass rushers kept the St. Louis quarterback to just 91-yards passing, as well as causing him to connect on just 9 of his 24 attempts.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) kept up their push for a home playoff spot with a 14-3 victory over AFC North rivals the Cleveland Browns (4-9). Despite putting together a strong opening drive, with quarterback Colt McCoy passing accurately off of play action, and hitting receivers Evan Moore and Josh Cribbs for big gains, they were stopped short of the touchdown by a dominant Steelers defense, and had to settle for a field goal.

Pittsburgh responded by putting together a similarly impressive drive which culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jericho Cotchery, largely thanks to Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to keep plays alive for longer than almost any other quarterback.

Turnovers then dominated the game, firstly with veteran receiver Hines Ward fumbling and losing possession for the Steelers, then McCoy threw a pass straight into the hands of Troy Polamalu to turnover any advantage Cleveland had gained. Pittsburgh then choked up another turnover, this time Heath Miller fumbling after a reception, all of which was made worse by a seemingly game-ending ankle injury to Roethlisberger.

But true to his personality, ‘Big Ben’ came back onto the pitch, and wrapped up the game for the Steelers late in the fourth quarter when he threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to in-form wide receiver Antonio Brown, who finished the game with 151 yards on five receptions.

Pittsburgh linebacker Jason Worilds also had a good game, collecting two sacks and a forced fumble as he continues to put in the performances which are beginning to suggest he may be the long term replacement for James Harrison when he eventually retires.

The Browns meanwhile have little to be pleased about, McCoy, a quarterback under pressure, threw two interceptions and no touchdowns, and questions will persist over whether McCoy is the long term answer for this franchise. In addition to their stuttering passing game, their running game proved no more fruitful, with neither Chris Ogbonnaya, Peyton Hillis or Montario Hardesty rushing for over 31 yards.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) bounced back from a disappointing loss to bitter rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, last week, with a 24-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) in a critical AFC North clash. The loss ends a five-game winning streak for the Bengals, and also means the the team must lose their spot at the top of the division.

Whilst the Steelers were still missing linebacker LeMarr Woodley, they were boosted by the return of James Farrior, as well as James Harrison, who showed no fresh injury concerns after his return to the team last week against the Ravens.  Meanwhile, Jermaine Gresham boosted the Bengals as he returned from the inactive list, and although inside linebacker Rey Maualuga’s return bolstered the Bengal’s 4^th ranked N.F.L. defense, they were still without influential defensive end Carlos Dunlap.

The loss to the Ravens likely spurred the Steelers, who quickly moved to 14-0 in the first quarter, with Ben Roethlisberger finding Jerricho Cotchery for a 16-yard touchdown pass before Rashard Mendenhall added a touchdown of his own with a two-yard run. The Bengals did manage to cut the deficit before the end of the quarter though, as Andy Dalton threw a 36-yard pass into the endzone which wide receiver A. J. Green caught well above the heads of Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark.

Cincinnati did manage to tie the game at 17-17 in the second half, when Dalton floated a one-yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone for tight end Gresham, who showed good footwork to stay in bounds and take the catch. Running back Mendenhall soon re-established Pittsburgh’s lead, however, powering into the end zone from nine yards out and setting up a tense final quarter.

Although the Bengals continued to put pressure on the Steelers defense, they were unable to truly threaten Pittsburgh’s end zone, and when William Gay intercepted Dalton’s pass, the game was effectively over for Cincinnati.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin will be happy with his team, having emerged victorious from a hard-fought game, and will be pleased with how successful his offense had been, especially against a side who were ranked fourth in the N.F.L. for defense prior to this game, as well as rushing for over a 100 yards, an accomplishment which no team has been able to achieve against the Bengals in their last six games.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown was particularly impressive for the Steelers, catching the ball for 74 yards on four catches during one drive in the first half. Not quite as impressive was Pittsburgh’s offensive line, which allowed five sacks on quarterback Roethlisberger, and will need to improve if the Steelers are to make an impact beyond the regular season. The Bengals, meanwhile, will need to bounce back quickly, as they face a testing trip to Baltimore next week when they take on divisional rivals the Ravens.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) suffered a devastating loss to the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) during a 23-20 defeat to their bitter rivals at Heinz Field, as they gave up top spot in the AFC North.

Whilst the Ravens were still missing wide receiver Lee Evans, guard Ben Grubbs was able to return to duty, and they had no new major injury concerns, unlike the Steelers.  Pittsburgh did welcome back James Harrison after he recovered from his eye injury, but were without linebackers LaMarr Woodley and James Farrior for this crucial match.

Baltimore almost made the perfect start when Ray Rice found a hole on the Ravens first possession, and ran for a 76-yard touchdown, only for a flag to be thrown for holding by wide receiver Torrey Smith. The Ravens did take the lead soon after however, with the Steelers holding them out despite being on the one-yard line, and Baltimore had to make do with a field goal from Billy Cundiff.

Both teams proceeded to trade field goals and ended the second quarter with Baltimore leading 9-6. As predicted, both teams’ defenses seemed to be dominating the play, and limiting the opposition to field goals.

With the Steelers advancing down the field, and finding a couple of big gains through the air, it felt like only a matter of time before Ben Roethlisberger found someone for a touchdown pass, but then the veteran quarterback threw a ball straight at Terrel Suggs, and the linebacker picked up the interception.

The drive following Suggs’ interception was turned into a touchdown when Ike Turner was called for pass interference on Anquan Boldin, which brought the Ravens to the 10-yard line, and Rice had no trouble finding a hole and getting the touchdown, making it 16-6 to Baltimore.

Pittsburgh hit back in similar fashion however, going on an 80-yard drive, which culminated in Rashard Mendenhall going over for a one-yard touchdown, and cutting the Ravens lead to three points with most of the fourth quarter left to play.

Roethlisberger then put the Steelers into the lead for the first time on the night, passing on the run to Mike Wallace for a 35-yard touchdown pass, making the score 20-16 to Pittsburgh. The Ravens were not finished though, and went on a 92-yard drive, and Joe Flacco found Smith in the endzone for a 26-yard touchdown pass, securing the win for the visitors with just eight seconds left to play.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin will be disheartened with the loss, but can be content with the performance of Roethlisberger, as the quarterback continues from where he left off against the Patriots last week.

The Ravens, who have now recorded a sweep over the Steelers this year, will be encouraged by the return of Grubbs and the solidity that he brought to an offensive line which has been heavily criticised so far this season. Flacco’s proficiency on third down, and his contributions to the game-winning drive, will also have pleased Offensice Coordinator Cam Cameron, even if there are still large question marks over the quarterback.

The Steelers will head into Week 10 having to play AFC North surprise package the Cincinnati Bengals, and will need to maintain their focus after emotionally charged matches with rivals New England Patriots and the Ravens. The Ravens, meanwhile, will travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, and will be fairly confident of getting the win but will need to ensure they do not slip up in the same way they did two weeks ago against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Going into this game, all the Steelers heard was how Tom Brady has owned their team during his tenure as quarterback of the New England Patriots and how their “old” defense, with its zone blitz schemes, was going to get picked apart by Brady and company.

The Steelers changed all that talk in a big way on Sunday as Ben Roethlisberger was the quarterback picking apart the Steelers, giving Brady and the Patriots offense fits all day.

Brady came into the game with a 6-1 record against the Steelers, and put up monster numbers in doing so. But on Sunday at Heinz Field, it was all Steelers, all game. The Steelers had 39 minutes of possession, and Brady was never able to get into rhythm because the Steelers changed their defense.

Instead of featuring zone blitz schemes, which have allowed Brady and the Patriots to spread out the defense and throw in between the zones, the Steelers switched up their strategy featuring more man-to-man play. The coverage and ample pressure from wide receivers on Brady allowed them to keep Brady under wraps, and set the blueprint to bring down Bill Belichick and Brady.

Brady was sacked three times during the game, but was under pressure all day. When he couldn’t find an open receiver, Wes Welker, who, like Brady, has numbers on a record pace this season, was held to six catches for only 39 yards.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offense a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said. “I think they took that a little personal.”

Roethlisberger had one of his best games of the season, throwing 30 times in the first half and finishing 36 of 50 for 365 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick as the Steelers notched their fourth straight victory after starting 2-2. They move into a tie for first place in the AFC.

Brady was 24 of 35 for a season low 198 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots showed no signs of panicking, though the loss dropped them back into a tie for the AFC East with Buffalo and only one game ahead of the Jets. The Patriots punted four times during the game, missed a key field goal, and failed miserably on an onside kick attempt.

The team that was out there Sunday was very reminiscent of the Patriots teams that have shown up in the playoffs the past few years. ”It just wasn’t a really good day for us in any phase of the game, in any area,” Belichick said. “We just didn’t do a good enough job. That’s really all there is to say.”

There is more to say than just that. This is a Patriots team whose defense is so bad that on any given day when the offense isn’t putting up huge numbers, there’s a really good possibility of them losing the game.

The problems with the defense are deeper than anyone in New England wants to let on, but the Steelers have shown the rest of the league that this isn’t the same untouchable Patriots team we’ve seen over the past decade.

The Patriots host the New York Giants next week. With their schedule not getting any easier and the emergence of Buffalo combined with the recent resurgence of the Jets, the Patriots have to get things turned around quickly if they hope to keep control of the AFC East.

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