The Steelers Try to Cover Their Weakness Areas for the Upcoming Season

This post is courtesy of Alex Lowe.

Probably the start of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be easy. And with Santonio Holmes off the team, and the suspension of Ben Roethlisberger, the NFL Odds for the Steelers do not seem favorable at all.

Undoubtedly the absence of “Big Ben” could create some hardships for the team, even more so when most of the first games of the Steelers are away. This could make it tough for the team to start with a good record.

The Steelers will be without Big Ben the first six games, and it seems that there is no other quarterback that can offer the team the same skills.

For his part, quarterback Dennis Dixon has just two years in the NFL and hasn’t demonstrated his ability as a professional player.

Another option is Byron Leftwich. However, I do not think he can be a quarterback that can move this team forward, but he is expected to be the starting quarterback in the games without "Big Ben."

Holmes's departure could also mean another major absence for the Steelers. However, they have other players capable of covering this position, such as wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Arnaz Battle.

However, Mike Wallace is their biggest hope and he is expected to become the number one receiver for Pittsburgh.

On the other hand, the tight end position is covered by Heath Miller, who is expected to have an effective season as he did last season in receptions and in receiving yards.

As for the draft, the Steelers have reinforced their offensive line with the first round draft pick of center Maurkice Pouncey, who I think is a great choice to correct their problems on offense.

Also, Emmanuel Sanders was another striking third round selection. Sanders is a player with great abilities, and he could give the Steelers a great weapon in the passing game.

Finally, if Troy Polamalu stays healthy, the Steelers will have a great defense. And this season, I think that Pittsburgh's defense will be able to note some victories.

Polamalu’s return will be one of the biggest advantages that the Steelers have for this upcoming season.

Their toughest games will probably be against the Baltimore Ravens, the Miami Dolphins, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. However, there is still great hope that Mike Tomlin can raise the team to the level it had in 2008.