2017 NFL power rankings: Patriots lead the way

Looking Back: The season concluded with a disappointing showing in the AFC Championship Game. All told, it was still a season with more positives than negatives as Mike Tomlin’s club reached the postseason for the third straight year. And following a 4-5 start, the determined Steelers reeled off nine straight overall wins before falling hard in Foxborough.

Looking Forward: We saw the AFC North champions re-invent themselves on offense at midseason. They took advantage of their talent on the offensive line and running back Le’Veon Bell’s versatility and the combination carried Mike Tomlin’s attack. Now consider that the talented performer missed the first three games of the season due to a league suspension and rested in Week 17. Still, Bell put up a gaudy 1,884 yards from scrimmage in a dozen outings, third in the NFL behind only Arizona’s David Johnson and Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott. Granted he gets re-signed, we can probably look for more of the same in 2017. There’s a lot of life left in Bell’s legs and he’s more than capable of even better things down the road.

Offseason needs: The Steelers need to get Bell a new contract and by all indications, they will slap the franchise tag on the four-year pro. Elsewhere, there were some promising signs by some of the team’s young defensive players such as second-year outside linebacker Bud Dupree and rookies such as safety Sean Davis and defensive linemen Javon Hargrave. But the club lacked consistency when it came to rushing the passer. The team also has some decisions to make on potential unrestricted free-agent linebackers Lawrence Timmons, Jarvis Jones (the team declined his fifth-year option) and James Harrison. General manager Kevin Colbert could also look to add some youth and depth at the running back position.