Top 10 favorites to win Super Bowl 54
By Cody Rivera
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
Ask a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, and they will tell you that the 2018 season was one to forget.
It certainly didn’t look that way during the first half of the year, as Pittsburgh once found itself at 7-2-1, on the cusp of an AFC North title, and a serious threat to come out of the AFC. And then all hell broke loose, the Steelers reeled off a series of losses, and they completed one of the NFL’s all-time great choke jobs as the Baltimore Ravens came out of nowhere to steal the division.
And now, all Steelers fans have to think about is what will become of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell? Despite possessing two of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons, it’s hard to imagine either player wearing the black and gold next season. At this point, too much as gone down, and both players need a fresh start — as do the Steelers themselves.
Luckily, the team should be just fine offensively. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is getting up there in age, but he still has some fight left in him. James Conner had a breakout season in Bell’s absence, and JuJu Smith-Schuster will be tasked with carrying the brunt of the receiving load.
If the Steelers can make improvements on defense, they should come back as a dangerous team in 2019. They will be a Super Bowl contender, although head coach Mike Tomlin will likely be finding himself on the hot seat. If he fails once again to get this team to the playoffs, his job could be in jeopardy.