NFL Retroactive Season Preview- Part 3- The Middle Of The Pack

Welcome to the third part of my NFL season preview. Too see the musical analogies go here. This part is the middling teams, teams which have a chance on making the playoffs. Enjoy.

Black Eyed Peas + Fergie Division

The worst team in last year. The Colts finished 2-14 after their Quarterback of the past decade and future Hall of Famer, Peyton Manning, underwent multiple neck surgeries and missed the entire season. Supporters would say that if Manning had been able to play then the team would have made the playoffs. I disagree, first off the coach Jim Caldwell was terrible. He hung off Manning’s coat tail and was exposed when he was injured. Also most of their top draft picks over the last five years haven’t panned out which gradually made the team worse and worse especially on both offensive and defensive lines.

Lucky (pun intended) for the Colts best QB prospect since Peyton Manning became eligible in the draft when they had the first pick. Andrew Luck is now the new face of the franchise already in preseason he is looking like a stud. The Colts still have significant holes but the fact they have their franchise QB for the next 10 years makes life a lot easier. New head coach Chuck Pagano, formerly the defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, will improve the terrible defence from last year. This team will pull a few upsets this year, probably not enough to make the playoffs though.

Beast players- none

Great players- Reggie Wayne WR, Dwight Freeney DE, Robert Mathis DE.

Bust out player- Andrew Luck.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Colts had a really tough start vs a veteran team in the Bears. Luck had a rough day throwing 3 interceptions but the lack of pass protection by his OL was mostly to blame. The defence put some pressure on Bears QB Jay Cutler but star player Dwight Freeney got injured and the secondary was poor. They will certainly be more competitive then last year though.

Washington are another team who hopefully added their franchise QB of the future this off season, it just cost a lot more. The Redskins traded up to the 2^nd overall pick for Heismann Trophy winner Robert Griffin III. He is being compared to Michael Vick in terms of athleticism and arm strength but is a better pocket passer. He gives the team a legitimate chance of competing for the NFC East division, the only thing holding them back last year was terrible QB play. Head coach Michael Shanahan needs to improve from last year’s  5-11 record last year to keep his job. The defence has  strong  pass rush with Kerrigan and Orakpo and their running game is always strong, however  their secondary and offensive lines don’t have much depth. I think RGIII may struggle early on adjusting to the NFL but he is a playmaker who can create with his legs and his arms, something they didn’t have at QB last year. Look for them to be in the fight for the division come the end of the season.

Beast player- Brian Orakpo OLB.

Great player- London Fletcher MLB.

Bust out players- Pierre Garcon WR, Ryan Kerrigan OLB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: What a start! The Redskins went into New Orleans and punched the Saints in the mouth. RGIII was great and Pierre Garcon looks like a stud if he can stay healthy. I still think Griffen will struggle at some stage in his rookie season, a year of NFL hits will do that for you. They look like they can contend in the NFC East though.

Despite their 4-12 record last year the Panthers were a competitive team thanks to the sensational season from their rookie QB Cam Newton. Even though he was selected No.1 overall he wasn’t expected to break a multitude of rookie records including most passing yards in a season and most rushing touchdowns in a season. The defence was horrendous though as injuries to the linebacking unit allowed opposition to run at will against them. This year with the defence getting a boost through the draft and Newton developing his passing game further I can see them winning a few more games and fighting for the NFC South division. 

One thing I don’t like about the organisation is how they continue to pour money into the RB position. After signing DeAngelo Williams to a guaranteed $21 million contract last year they sign their other top RB Jonathan Stewart to a guaranteed $23.5 million contract this season as well as signing Mike Tolbert from the Chargers for 4 years, $8.4 million. In a time where you can pick up solid RB prospects from the draft for peanuts this is a waste of money which could have been spent on positions of need like DT or a second receiver.

Beast players- Cam Newton QB, Jordan Gross LT.

Great players- Steve Smith WR, Jonathan Stewart RB, DeAngelo Williams RB, Jon Beason MLB.

Bust out players- Greg Olson TE, Luke Kuechley LB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Panthers had the most mystifying performance of Week 1 vs the Buccaneers. They abandoned their biggest strength, the run game, very early in the game even though they weren't down by much. The offensive line was atrocious and it is a concern if they have to rely on Newton to throw them to victory. If they don't improve in their second game then I could see a really bad season ahead for them.

Tampa Bay were an under achieving 4-12 last year but an over achieving 10-6 the previous year so somewhere between these two extremes lies the true quality of this team.  They have been one of the youngest teams the last couple of years and it showed last year as indiscipline led to the firing of the head coach Raheem Morris who was not much of a disciplinarian. He is replaced by long time college football coach Greg Schiano who is the complete opposite which should help this team turnaround this year.

The team has a lot of intriguing pieces, particularly on offence. QB Josh Freeman is a solid young QB who had a tough time completing passes last year due to a dodgy offensive line and a lack of WR talent to throw to. The Bucs helped him by signing free agents WR Vincent Jackson and G Carl Nicks, these two veterans will make a big difference for Freeman. The Bucs also drafted their RB of the future in Doug Martin who is an every down back. The defence is the weakest unit, especially in the secondary but they did add Alabama safety Mark Barron as their first pick of this year’s draft who should contribute immediately. Whether this team has enough weapons to compete with the rest of the NFC South remains to be seen but they will be more competitive than last year that’s for sure.

Beast player- Carl Nicks G

Great players- Vincent Jackson (if healthy), Gerald McCoy DT.

Bust out players- Doug Martin RB, Josh Freeman QB

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Bucs started off really, beating division rivals in a solid but unspectacular way. Their Defensive line was huge, stopping the much vaunted Panther run game. They are going to be in most games if their defence can hold up. First round rookie safety Mark Barron is already making his presence felt in the NFL.

The last team of this group was probably the most difficult to group. Despite posting a respectable 9-7 record last year and not getting worse during the offseason the Titans are not seen as much of a playoff threat this year. That’s because they had quite an underwhelming team last year but faced a really easy schedule which bumped up their record. I see them dropping a couple of games to sit in the 6-8 wins area. So why are they in this group then? Well they are starting their first round draft from last year, Jake Locker, at QB who is an intriguing prospect. He is wildly inaccurate passer but can zip it in and he can make moves with his feet. They have a couple of interesting wide receiver talents in Kenny Britt and rookie Kendall Wright as well as RB Chris Johnson. Johnson was average last year because he held out for a pay rise until the start of the season and the OL played terrible. With a full offseason to get in shape I can see Johnson getting back to his elite playing level.

A problem for Titans is the their opening schedule- home vs New England, away vs SanDiego, home vs Detroit, away vs Houston, away vs Minnesota, home vs Pittsburgh, away vs Buffalo.  They could easily be 1-6 to start off the season and if Locker struggles how long will they keep him in there before they go to veteran Matt Hasselbeck.

Beast player- Michael Roos LT.

Great player- Michael Griffen S, Chris Johnson RB, Steve Hutchinson G.

Bust out player- Jared Cook TE.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Week 1 vs New England was a tough match up but the way both lines were physically mauled into submission is a huge concern. The run game was non existent and complaints about the play calling from the offensive coordinator are already surfacing. Locker ended up separating his non throwing shoulder in a tackle but shouldn't miss much time. If there isn't much sign of improvement in this weeks game vs the Chargers then this could be a really disappointing year for the Titans.

Maroon 5 Division

The Broncos are the most hyped team this year after an eventful offseason in which they traded their QB media sensation Tim Tebow to the Jets and signed the one of the greatest QB’s ever Peyton Manning. After getting to the AFC semi-finals led by the unconventional Tebow hopes are high that the addition of Manning will mean a run to the Super Bowl this year. When word came of the QB change in March money flooded into Vegas on Denver. The hype has slowed down a little now- after all Manning hasn’t played a NFL game for 18 months due to four neck surgeries and nobody knows how his body will cope with an entire season of hits and sacks. If Manning can be 80-90% of what he has been in the past the offence can do very well. They have a couple of talented WR’s in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Dekker as well as solid running game led by Willis McGahee.

The defence on the other hand as several question points which will impact whether the Broncos make the playoffs , let alone the Super Bowl. They haven’t added much to an average unit apart from CB Tracy Porter from New Orleans. They have a formidable pass rush on paper in Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil but their defensive tackles are below average and the secondary is made up of either young players or ageing veterans. The Broncos can’t afford any injuries as they have no depth Despite going 8-8 last year the Broncos were outscored by 81 points, the most from any team above .500.

Finally their schedule is one of the toughest in the NFL this year. They face the tough AFC North and AFC South divisions as well as the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. There aren’t going to be many easy games on the schedule and I think this along with Manning coming back from a serious injury will mean that they will really have to play well to make the playoffs. They can certainly win the AFC West but it is not a given like many people are saying.

Beast players- (Top 5 players in their respective positions, game changers)- Von Miller OLB, Ryan Clady OT.

Great players-(Top 15 in their respective positions, can be pro bowlers)- Champ Bailey CB.

Bust out players-(Players who can breakout and become Beasts or Great players this year)- Demaryius Thomas WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: An impressive start to the season with the victory vs a tough Steelers team.  Manning looked good and the defence applied a lot of pressure on Roethlisberger. This weeks game away against another good team in the Falcons should give a good indication on whether the Broncos are the real deal.

The Cowboys are the essence of over rated. Coined as ‘America’s Team’ it recently has been valued as the most valuable sports franchise in the USA , it’s routinely rated by fans as a shoo in to win the Super Bowl despite winning only one playoff game in the last 16 years!! Owner Jerry Jones is known for his hands on approach when it comes to running the team. This has resulted in periodical head coaching firings as well as drafting players with immense potential but serious red flags.

Last year the team had the chance to make the playoffs by beating division rivals and eventual Super Bowl champion NY Giants but choked, finishing 8-8. Their biggest weakness was their defence last year as they continually gave up leads in 4^th quarters . The Cowboys focused on the secondary this offseason, drafting top CB prospect Morris Claibourne and signing Brandon Carr in free agency which should help. The lack of pass rush outside of DeMarcus Ware is a concern but they feel that they feel their CB’s will shutdown receivers long enough for the pass rush to get to opposition QB’s.

The offence has some intriguing talent. Their leader is QB Tony Romo, maybe the most under rated QB in the NFL. He can be brilliant but can also make awful mistakes. If young RB DeMarco Murray can stay healthy and undisciplined WR Dez Bryant can behave himself under the curfew he is under (not kidding!)then the team can do well. In the tight NFC East division they will be in with a chance but it seems every year the Cowboys find some way of losing games they should win and self-destructing, maybe this is finally the year they change.

Beast players- DeMarcus Ware OLB, Jason Witten TE.

Great players- Tony Romo QB, Miles Austin WR (if healthy), Sean Lee MLB.

Bust out players- DeMarco Murray RB, Brandon Carr WR, Tyron Smith LT.

Retroactive look after Week 1: A good start by the Cowboys with the beating division rivals Giants away. Now they face another away game at the Seahawks. The Hawks defence will be better then the Giants so this will be a good indication of whether the Cowboys are consistent enough to make the playoffs this year. The defence looks much improved though and should give rookie QB Russell Wilson a rough day.

The Chargers for the past 5-6 years have been the most over hyped team in the AFC. Playing in the weak AFC West division the Chargers routinely start slow and then have late season charges to make the play offs. Last year they didn’t make the play offs after another dismal year and yet both much maligned head coach Norv Turner and General Manager AJ Smith survived. This year is certainly Turners last chance and the leash will be short.

The Chargers used to be known as having one of the most talented rosters in the NFL but that has gradually diminished over the years. They still have Phillip Rivers at QB but around him are a load of question marks. Their tackles are average at best, their best RB Ryan Matthews is out with a broken clavicle and their WR unit can't stay healthy. The defence has been even weaker as of late as they have failed miserably with draft picks on that side of the ball. The Chargers will be competitive and have the ability to win the AFC West but their best days are behind them. I say Turner isn’t back next year.

Beast player- Antonio Gates TE.

Great players- Phillip Rivers QB, Nick Hardwick C, Eric Weddle S

Bust out player- Malcolm Floyd WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Another disappointing performance by the Chargers, they were fortunate that Oakland self destructed on special teams. They really need RB Matthews back from injury because their offence is not very good right now especially in the red zone. They should beat Tennessee at home this week as well but I still don't think they are a very good team and they will get exposed during the season.

Gangnam Style Division

Under the guidance of ex USC football coach Pete Carroll the Seahawks have slowly become a relevant team again. Centred around a unique but effective defence and one of the best home field advantages in the NFL they will be in the hunt to win the NFC West. The most interesting story of the team is the fact they are deciding to start the season with a rookie QB after signing Matt Flynn in free agency to do that job. The 3^rd round selection Russell Wilson has surprised many with his outstanding pre season form despite his lack of ideal size for the position. It was for that reason that he wasn't selected in the first round. I watched this video before the draft and I was convinced that he was going to be a steal for some team, I just didn't expect for him to get an opportunity this early. I would have gone with Flynn to start the season and if he struggles go with Wilson.  The weaknesses of this team are that their WR unit is inconsistent and often injured and the OL’s depth is questionable. Also their top RB Marshawn Lynch is facing a suspension for a DUI incident in the off season. 

I have high hopes for Seattle this year, I think they will give the 49ers a run for their money in the division. However they need to be more consistent , too often they take weeks off against opposition they should beat and it costs them.

Beast players- Chris Clemons DE, Red Bryant DE

Great players- Marshawn Lynch RB, Earl Thomas S, Max Unger C.

Bust out player- Russell Wilson QB

Retroactive look after Week 1: A first round loss to Arizona was not the start the Seahawks needed. Wilson struggled a little as his OL is missing its best players. If a couple of WR's had held onto catches late in the game the result may have been different.This weeks game at home vs a good Cowboys team should be great match. If Wilson continues to struggle they may have to go to Flynn though which would be a blow for the development of Wilson.

Buffalo have been irrelevant for so long that I can’t remember the last time they won a play off game (1995). Last year’s team started 4-2 but collapsed to 6-10 due to injuries to key players. This year the team invested in their weak defence by signing former Texan Mario Williams to a massive $100 million contract  as well as drafting CB Stephon Gilmore with the 9^th pick overall. Their defensive line on paper now looks like one of the strongest in the NFL  and their secondary should be much improved.

As well as that they get Fred Jackson their best RB back from a broken leg who was having a tremendous season before he was injured. The team have weapons on offence so the pressure is on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to turn things around after getting a big payday after the great start last year. If he struggles then this team will be terrible once again. Question marks include the Offensive line which seems to be an issue every year and the No.2 WR position.

I can see the Buffalo Bills getting a play off spot this year as their schedule is favourable and the Jets are overated, however they must stay healthy, which is not assured with this team.

Beast player- Marcell Dareus DT

Great players- Fred Jackson RB, Mario Williams DE, Kyle Williams DT, Steve Johnson WR.

Bust out player-CJ Spiller RB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Well it didn't take long for the Bills hype to disappear after being demolished by the Jets. Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown 19 interceptions in the his last 10 games. The defence was supposed to create more pressure against a weak Jets OL but had a quiet day. Too make things worse Fred Jackson sprained a knee and is out for at least a month. They need to recover quickly otherwise the Bills are consigned to a cellar dweller.

The Chiefs season last year were derailed by injuries early. They lost their best running back, tight end and safety in the first 2 weeks. They then lost their starting QB and then fired their abrasive coach Todd Haley half way through the season. The interim coach- defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel did such a good job that he was hired to be the Head Coach this year. With the return of their injured players as well as a successful offseason signing players the Chiefs look like they will contend for the wide open AFC West. Kansas may have one of the best defensive teams in the NFL with young talent all through it. The offence also upgraded its offensive line by signing RT Eric Winston who has been one of the best at his position. They have Jamaal Charles at RB and Dwayne Bowe at WR, both explosive playmakers.

The question marks of this team come from the two most important positions , quarterback and coach. Matt Cassel has been average since he arrived from New England in 2009. He needs to get the ball to the talent around him, he doesn’t need to be spectacular. I have concerns over Romeo Crennel as well. He’s had an opportunity to be a NFL head coach before at Cleveland and that was terrible. He will have an effective defence but he needs to get this offence up and running otherwise it’s going to be another wasted year with the talent they have. I think that Cassel will do just enough to make this team competitive enough to win this division over the Chargers and Denver though it will be close.

Beast players- Tamba Hali OLB, Derrick Johnson ILB, Brandon Flowers CB.

Great players- Jamaal Charles RB, Dwayne Bowe WR, Eric Winston RT, Eric Berry S.

Bust out players- Justin Houston OLB, Jon Baldwin WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: The Chiefs got blown away at home by the red hot Falcons but they shouldn't be too discouraged. They were missing two of their best players on defence, Tamba Hali from suspension, and Brandon Flowers from injury. Both should play vs Buffalo this week. Matt Cassell has to make more plays though as the passing game was very conservative. If the defence can get back to its solid game then this team will be competitive.

Jet Division

Last year the Detroit Lions made the playoffs for the first time since 2000 after a decade of awful mismanagement and losing. They now have a franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford and the best WR in the game right now, Calvin Johnson. Head coach Jim Schwartz has demolished the inherent  losing culture of the franchise instead instilling confidence. However he has not combined this with discipline as his players and himself were shown to be a little too fired up last year . This resulted in the team being one of the most penalised in the NFL. It didn’t get any better as three of their most promising young  players were arrested twice each for misdemeanours.  Apparently Schwartz has clamped down hard on discipline during training but the fact remains to be seen whether it will translate into the regular season. 

Detroit are a team with lots of depth in some postions (DL, WR) and huge holes in others (CB, RB). Their secondary in particular is extremely raw and maybe the worst in the NFL. For the team to succeed they must have Stafford stay healthy and they need their defensive line to create pressure on opposition QB’s to mask their weaknesses elsewhere. In a tough NFC North I can’t see the Lions repeating their success last year despite their talent.

Beast player- Calvin Johnson WR.

Great players-Matthew Stafford QB, Ndamukong Suh DT, Louis Delmas S, Cliff Avril DE.

Bust out players- Titus Young WR, Mikel LeShoure RB.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Despite throwing three interceptions Stafford was able to lead the Lions to a last minute win vs the plucky Rams. This week they face the 49er's and are considered favourites. Stafford will have to be at his best for this team to have any chance of beating San Francisco. 

This team made the playoffs last year with a rookie QB and top WR after having a weak schedule. They beat the bad teams and lost to the good ones. This off season they had one of the best drafts and added some good players in free agency. So why don’t I like them this year?

Well it’s the fact that they are consistently inconsistent when it comes to playing. Check out the Bengals records the last 5 years- 7-9, 4-11, 10-6, 4-12, 9-7. If you follow the pattern this year they should drop below .500 and not make the playoffs. Despite a good off season they could have done much better, they had the most amount of cap space to sign big players in the entire NFL. They could have signed one of the elite offensive lineman available or wide receiver to complement AJ Green. Yet they signed mid range players and resigned several average players. They do this because they are run by the cheapest and least liked owner in the entire NFL. Mike Brown is despised by the Bengals fan base for good reason, he has no intention of making the team a Super Bowl contender. He spends frugally on everything, especially in the front office and this has an effect on the success of the team on the field. The team hasn’t won a playoff game since 1990!

It’s a real shame because the team has a nucleus of young players on both sides of the team to make a challenge for the Super Bowl but the owner doesn’t want to invest the money. Anyway I see Andy Dalton, the Bengals QB struggling in his second year due to the tougher schedule this year.

Beast players- none

Great players- Geno Atkins DT, Carlos Dunlap DE, AJ Green WR, Leon Hall CB, Andrew Whitworth LT.

Bust out player- Benjarvis Green Ellis RB

Retroactive look after Week 1: Facing the Ravens Week 1 is never the easiest start to the season. Injuries to key players in defence and poor play from Dalton contributed to a heavy defeat. This week should be a lot easier vs the Browns. The Bengals will be the same as the last year beating the bad teams and losing to the good ones.

Madonna Division

There isn’t a franchise I am rooting for to fail more then the Jets. I dislike how the way the organisation is run and how they act as a team on and off the field. The Jets love media attention and run under the ethos that any news on them, good or bad, is great for the organisation. Led by the biggest smack talking coach Rex Ryan the Jets staff and players aren’t afraid to talk before they walk. Now in previous years they have walked the walk thanks to a dominating defence and a good running game. However the Jets have failed to re inject themselves with talent through the draft and it’s finally catching up to them. Last year they finished with a 8-8 record but struggled mightily thanks to an inaccurate Mark Sanchez and poor OL play They took Quentin Coples DE as their first pick in the draft but didn’t address the OL and the spent their 2^nd round draft pick on a project WR.

The team has a Top 5 defence but has but its safeties are retreads from other teams, it remains to be seen whether they can support their solid CB unit. The offensive side of the ball is going to be a huge problem for the Jets I believe. The biggest move this off season was obviously trading for Tim Tebow setting off an immediate QB controversy which will linger over this team especially if Sanchez plays poorly early on. The Jets claim they will only use him in Wildcat packages but that will go out the door when the fans are crying out for Tebow especially after what he did last year in Denver.

The Jets also had poor OL play last year including having the worst starting right tackle in the NFL (Wayne Hunter) last year so they traded him for a marginally better player (Jason Smith) who is a lot more expensive. Shonn Greene is an average starting RB at best and the WR group is so bad that the No.2 CB , Antonio Cromartie, claimed that he is the second best WR in the team. This of course didn’t go down too well amongst the WR. Also Rex Ryan made the odd comments about how he didn’t want to draft Stephen Hill despite that being a position of need. All this is adding up to a highly charged setting within the team that if things don’t start off well the team could self implode.

In a league dominated by QB’s I can’t see the Jets offence being able to match if they get behind in games. The defence is good but it has health issues in the linebackers and safeties and if injuries start to mount up like they can in the NFL then the Jets could be in serious trouble and Ryan could be without a job at the end of the year.

Beast players- Darrelle Revis CB, Nick Mangold C.

Great player- D’Brickashaw Ferguson LT.

Bust out player- Muhammed Wilkerson DE.

Retroactive look after Week 1: What a start by the Jets, scoring the most points in Week 1 and utterly dominating the fancied Bills. Mark Sanchez looked good and rookie Stephen Hill scored two touchdowns. Despite all this I still think the Jets aren't a good team and won't make the play offs. Sanchez is still too inaccurate and the running game is average. They face a tougher test this week in the Steelers, I can't see them beating a team as good as the Steelers especially after they lost their first game. It was good to see Rex Ryan getting smacked down during last weeks game though.

Now this team are big smack talkers as well but the organisation is one of the most widely respected in the NFL for its consistency and excellence over time. In the Super Bowl era, since 1967, they have had four head coaches in total! The Steelers have made three Super Bowls in the last seven years and won two of them. Under the current coach, Mike Tomlin, they have not had a season under .500 wins., in fact they have had only nine losing seasons since 1970. Built around an extremely physical defence and the strength of QB Ben Roethlisberger to extend plays on offence the team has always been a contender. However there are signs that this teams time is finally running out. The defenceis based around ageing players like James Harrison and Troy Polamalu who are very injury prone. If they aren’t on the field then the rest of the unit is going to struggle. Their CB unit has a few unproven players who have to step up as well as the fact that they don’t produce many turnovers.

The offensive side of the ball is worse. The Offensive line has been bad for the last couple of years and the Steelers finally invested two high draft picks to remedy this. Unfortunately they are back to square one before the season as both rookies are probably not going to contribute much this season. 1^st round pick guard David DeCastro tore his MCL in preseason and 2^nd round pick tackle Mike Adams has been underwhelming.

The Steeler running backs have also been severely impacted by injury, their best back from last year, Medenhall is recovering from a torn ACL and his backups are all banged up or rookies. And of course you can’t forget Roethlisberger himself who seems to be constantly carrying an injury. All this makes me think that the margin of error is very small when it comes to injuries. I think that the age of both lines and the linebackers is going to catch up with the Steelers this year and they are going to fail to make the playoffs.

Beast players- LaMarr Woodley OLB, Troy Polamalu S, Maurkice Pouncey C.

Great players-Ben Roethlisberger  QB, James Harrison OLB, Mike Wallace WR, Ryan Clark S, Lawrence Timmons ILB.

Bust out player- Antonio Brown WR.

Retroactive look after Week 1: Travelling to the Broncos and missing Harrison and Clark on defence was always going to be a hard task. Their OL again struggled and lost another player to injury Marcus Gilbert. At home they will be better but the Jets defence is formidable and they may struggle to give Roethlisberger enough time to throw. This Steelers team is already dealing with key injuries in the defence and I really see them struggling to compete with the best teams in the NFL this year.