The Pittsburgh Steelers have not been immune to hype this year, but that is a natural response when you have a team with one of the best defenses in the league and Pro Bowl skill position players, and then you add a franchise quarterback into the mix. Which is what they’re doing with Ben Roethlisberger returning from a season-ending elbow injury in Week Two last year.
It’s not just the quarterback driving the optimism about a return to relevance for the offense, though. It’s also the young players who are growing and stepping up, particularly Diontae Johnson, who was a third-round pick last season and led the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns, and was second in receiving yards behind James Washington.