NFL betting fans are aware that the Pittsburgh Steelers have the most Super Bowl wins in NFL history. It’s difficult to meet a fan of the black and gold that doesn’t bring it up. Last season the Steelers failed to bring their seven titles up to eight. Pittsburgh however, was able to make it to the divisional round, only to be stopped by the eventual Super Bowl Champions.
The Steelers had plenty of chances in that game. Ultimately, failure to score early led to the game being decided by Fitzgerald Toussaint’s fumble. Denver was able to capitalize on the mistake and the rest is history. While Toussaint may have taken the blame for the loss due to his turnover, the Steelers failed to convert time of possession into points.
“This is not all on him by any means,” Roethlisberger stated after the loss. “It’s on all of us.”
When your season ends with a fumble it’s hard to have a clear picture of the problems you want to address in the offseason (other than ball control). The Steelers stats from the 2015 season should help clear that up. The Steelers offense steamrolled over the leagues defense, led by the 3rd best passing offense in the league the Steelers ranked 5th in points per game. The Steelers had the 3rd best offense overall, and would’ve been better had they not been slowed down by having a rushing offense that ranked in the bottom half of the league.
On defense the complete opposite was true for the black and gold. In 2015 the Steelers had the 5th best rushing defense in the league but were crippled by their inability to stop the passing game ranking 30th overall. That combination led to their defense being ranked 21st overall while coming in at 11th in points. There is no question the passing game was the Achilles heel of this defense and if the Steelers want to be NFL betting favorites for the Vince Lombardi Trophy then they need to address this issue during the offseason.
The Steelers were able to do just that by drafting a cornerback in the first round, a safety in the second, and signing Artie Burns (another cornerback) during free agency. Pittsburgh was also able to re-sign William Gay and Ross Cockrell. If these veterans are able to help the younger talent get acquainted with the iron curtains defense then the Steelers should have one of the toughest defenses in the league.
This offseason saw Pittsburgh say farewell to several tackles on both sides of the ball. Kelvin Beachum decided to put the beach in his name by heading to Florida to play for the Jaguars. Defensive tackle Steve Mclendon will be heading to New York. Other than that Pittsburgh will be heading into next season with the same roster, including the return of Le’Veon Bell the Steelers’ do-it-all running back. You can expect his return to add a nice change of pace to the Steelers’ passing game.
With this in mind NFL betting enthusiasts should have no problem seeing why the Steeler’s are the AFC North favorites next season. If they’re able to improve their passing defense then Pittsburgh might just become sportsbook user’s favorite for NFL futures.
