AFC North round-up: Baltimore Ravens end 2019 on 12-game win streak
Pittsburgh Steelers:
December record: 2-3
2019 record: 8-8
AFC North standings: Second (3-3 record)
For having as much bad luck as the Pittsburgh Steelers had in 2019 they sure did a hell of a job contending. Yes, the AFC North was far out of reach for the team, but they were in the AFC playoff wildcard hunt until the very end. Head coach Mike Tomlin deserves a ton of credit with what he accomplished this year.
Losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ended the Steelers AFC North hopes before they even materialized, as backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges were just abysmal. Constant injuries to stars JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner didn’t help the quarterbacks, but they couldn’t lead Pittsburgh to wins if they were right in front of them.
This is even more depressing considering how good their defense was in 2019. The Steelers have two serious Defensive Player of the Year candidates in T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, the latter of whom was acquired via trade with the Miami Dolphins. 2019 also saw Bud Dupree breakout in a contract year, while stalwarts like Cameron Heyward continued their successes into the new season. Devin Bush also had a very good rookie season, enough to perhaps earn some Defensive Rookie of the Year votes.
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The fact that the Steelers finished 8-8 is a testament to the coaching above all else. The 2019 season is far from a forgettable one, as there is so much good to take away from it all. Should the team enter 2020 healthy, it’s pretty easy to imagine them being competitive once again in the AFC North.