5 reasons Steelers can win the Super Bowl this year

3. Ride the running game

The Steelers’ 2018 season was actually a three-part saga. The team won just once in their in their first four outings, ripped off six consecutive victories and then dropped four of their final six contests. It all added up to a 9-6-1 record and a failure to reach the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

The reasons for the uneven series were many. From a lack of big plays on defense to far too many turnovers. But one of the other issues was the inexplicable lack of offensive balance during the second half of 2018. In the team’s first nine outings, Pittsburgh totaled more than 20 running plays in seven of those contests. Second-year pro James Conner was enjoying a solid year as the replacement for Le’Veon Bell, who opted to sit out the season after the team slapped the franchise tag on the star performer for a second straight offseason.

But then came a wild 20-16 come-from-behind win at Jacksonville in Week 11 and the start of a seven-game stretch that saw Tomlin’s team total more than twice as many passing plays (329) than running plays (126). Only once over that period did the Steelers total more than 20 running plays – the Week 15 win over the New England Patriots.

Yes, Conner was a big banged up late in the year. But the bottom line was that the team changed its offensive philosophy just when the club had found itself. When it was all said and done, only the Arizona Cardinals finished with fewer rushing yards than Pittsburgh this past season. For numerous reasons, the balance must return to this offensive attack.

Next: No. 2