The Pittsburgh Steelers are now into the offseason, following a year in which they had high hopes for Super Bowl success, but ultimately fell short of even reaching the postseason at 8-8. It was a tumultuous season, both on the field and within the roster, and the months to follow figure to have some drama as well, especially in light of the team’s failure to improve upon the year before.
The team made some bold moves over the course of the past year, and some areas of the roster look quite a bit different than they did a year ago, or even at the start of the regular season. Whether due to injuries or otherwise, a lot has transpired, and we’re left to wonder how much more will change prior to September.
How will Ben Roethlisberger’s rehab progress as he winds toward recovery from an elbow injury that cost him almost the entire season? What about some of the key young players, some of whom have already impressed, others still needing quite a bit of growth? Will there be changes to the coaching staff? The front office? Who will they not retain in free agency, and whom might they bring in?
These are the sorts of questions among many others that we have been exploring on a daily basis and will continue to do so. Football has become a year-round pastime and there is always a question to be asked, though there is rarely a concrete answer, as I’ve learned in my years of doing this.
Question: Who’s winning today?
The Steelers might not be playing, but there is football going on, and it should prove to be a couple of good games. On the NFC side, the Green Bay Packers will be facing the San Francisco 49ers, while the Kansas City Chiefs host the Tennessee Titans, who took down the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round.
I previously asked you who you would like to see in the Super Bowl. Now I’m asking you who you think will be in the game—e.g., who will be winning today’s games. Of the four teams, two have been in the Super Bowl within the past decade, but only the Packers have the same quarterback—Aaron Rodgers—who took them there.
The Chiefs took the New England Patriots to overtime in the AFC Championship game last year, and never got a chance to touch the ball. They were in a position to win the game late in the fourth quarter. After falling behind 24-0 in the previous round, they stormed back with some insane scoring, but the Titans have the best defense remaining.
Were I do choose, I think I would have to go with the Packers and Chiefs. As much as I like quite a few things about the 49ers and the Titans, I think the passing game is ultimately going to win out, and Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes are certainly the two best quarterbacks. Rodgers won’t get shut down the way he did last time against San Francisco.
