2016 Gonna be a special season!!!!

The Steelers came up short this season no doubt, but the upcoming 2016 seasons gonna be special....Why??? The 2015 Steelers experienced all the highs, lows, and adversity in one season where most teams would have packed it in...Not the Steelers!!! this team matured, over came, came together, and battled all the way to the Divisional round.In todays NFL thats hard to accomplish especially with so much adversity to deal with in one season. Its hard for us fans to accept because we're passionate and prideful about our Steelers and we believe they can be contenders each and every year and go on to hoist the Lombardi there's nothing wrong with that it's human nature. This team is so talented we know it and they know it we just have to shore up a couple positions and we are set.. we will be unstoppable in the very near future and years to come. Stay loud, stay proud Steeler nation!!! Here we go!!!

 

I like the optimism, but I'm worried about Ben. There is a chance he'll need surgery in the off season to take care of that shoulder.

 

I posted the same thing on Facebook last nite. (barring injury) I feel that this team can be really good year on all sides of the ball. For the first time I'm not pissed that we lost, Just a sense of PRIDE of what they accomplished this year. Next year will be something special!

 

If that's the case I hope they do it now as opposed to waiting

 

Nothing is promised in the NFL. Just look what it took for them to make the playoffs. They could have no injuries next year and not even make the playoffs. This was the year and Tomlin knew it that's why he was crying. Broncos were beatable. Patriots are beat up and as beatable as they will ever be. Didn't have to play the Ravens. Already beat the Cardinals once with a back-up QB. This was suppose to be the year.

 

Aside for a few Negative Nancy's (**cough couch** see above ^^^^) I think this is the general feeling around Steeler Nation today. They noticed the same thing on The Fan morning show. I know I feel the same way. I've been saying that next year is their year since summer and I happy with this season. It was a stepping stone to much bigger things in 2016.

 

I got a feeling!!! We come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders in 2016 and have a Carolina type season. This team has seen that their coach is an emotional man and they will fight to the end for him. Regardless how we feel as fans about Tomlin his players love and respect him. Don't forget during the coarse of a season they are a family and they spend alot of time together. They deal with the highs and lows, the wins and losses it's an emotional game and they have to be able to lean on one another and Tomlin is the glue that keeps it together. As fans we live to watch and cheer another game, they have to put forth the blood, sweat, and tears through a brutal season and if their fortunate they get to the post season. We're going to be fine going forward keep the faith Steeler Nation we still have the most Lombardi's, the best owners, and organization in sports. GO Steelers!!!

 

It remains to be seen if Le'veon Bell could make it through an entire season without an injury

 

They've got great depth behind him.

 

A few pieces still needed to win the Superbowl, as like other fans have said
barring injury we could be ready for a Superbowl run.

 

Need real depth for the D-line. They can't sustain what you want them to do in the pressure game taking that many snaps again next year! Carrying the LB's as deep as they did (granted most of it was necessary) made them really thin at DE and they lost quality depth there as well with the cuts (Dri Archer over another DE)

 

Doesnt help when you have headhunters

 

Hate to be a debbie downer, but every season takes on its own personality. Teams rise and fall and teams that are expected to do well don't and teams that aren't expected to do well do. We'll have a whole new set of injuries and issues to deal with NEXT year. We'll lose games we should win and will hopefully win games that we're expected to lose. That's why it's always heartbreaking when you're a game or two away from the Big One not to capitalize. You don't know how soon you'll have another opportunity. I like to think that there is reason for optimism going into next season, but there are certainly no guarantees for success.

 

If we can find a way to improve the secondary a little in the offseason, I don't see any reason why we wouldn't be one of the favorites in the AFC. We have a lot of talent on this team, if we can draft well at our areas of need we will have a shot to make a run at some Super Bowls in the next few seasons.

 

We always say next year is going to be special, then we have key players suspended for silly s##t off field violations, and early season injuries that hurts the lineup, too many un predictable situations arise to even think about a 2016 special season this early, I'll wait to see where we are at by game 8 before I make any predictions.......

 

I don't even make them then! They're too unpredictable.

 

Ben said no surgery is needed.


http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/...roethlisberger-shoulder-injury-surgery-011916

 

Yes, but this has happened before, and later they are getting sliced. Fingers crossed.

 

We've had more talent then most teams the past 5 seasons and it's meant nothing. Every year since we lost to the packers in the SB it's been one excuse after another and no playoff wins (minus the Bengals debacle that gave us the victory we did not deserve) Not even mentioning the fact that we were saved by the Bills upsetting the Jets to back us in.

I'd like to be an optimist but this is not a "young" team were the key players are just coming into their prime. This is a veteran team with some young exciting players but that's been the case since Tomlin took over. Did we really improve this season vs last? or the year before that? We lost the 5-11 Ravens twice this season. That has been a trend that has plagued us for 5 years now. How are we going to stop losing to horrible teams? This is why we struggle to win playoff games IMO. Fighting and praying to make the playoffs because of embarrassing losses is not what SB teams do. Yet we have done this 5 years running.

Every season there are injuries. There will be devastating injuries next year also. Ben's not getting younger. Every year he gets older, we get closer to falling apart completely since this team is completely built on his ability to be a good Qb. With out Ben those great WR's we have mean nothing. We need to improve on the O-line in 2016. Everyone is worried about the secondary but it's the O-line that must get better. If NOT we will be watching Ben on the sideline and it won't matter if our secondary can stop bad QB's from having career games. We no MUST have a great O-line to win IMO. (which I actually think we are close to having)

Every season we are sloppy and inconsistent. This is Mike Tomlin football. We will make stupid mistakes and we will need Ben to bail us out of these types of games. So unless new players or a great draft is going to change these issues that have plagued us the past 5 years, I don't see 2016 being any different. We will be a team fighting for a playoff spot and probably needing help to get in. We are who we are.

 

Because of the reasons I stated above, I think for us to have any chance of winning the Sb we need to focus on building the best O-line in football and finding another play maker on defense. This probably means drafting an OT early, re-signing Foster and Beachum. Drafting an OLB early. Signing some veteran talent in the secondary to shore up those issues. IMO the secondary is only as good as our pass rush. The Denver game proved that.

 

I really hope we can put it all together one more time before Ben, James and the other long time Steelers call it a career. Hell, one more Super Bowl before I call it a career...lol....

 

Just as long as the special is the hoisting the Lombardi kind and not our special teams pathetic coverage kind.

 

This is a good thread and agree with most of it but keep in mind and this is my opinion. The Steelers have a target on there back because of being the only one in the NFL to have 6 SB rings. So that being said most teams enjoy it when we are limping along with a lot of injuries. The biggest offender of this will be back playing for the Bungles next year, he is the guy that we need to police. Things do happen on the field, just sayin.

 

I'm hoping Birthdefect does something stupid during the offseason and gets himself thrown in jail.