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The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering the 2020 NFL season as a relatively unknown quantity. With Ben Roethlisberger coming back from a serious elbow injury and no longer having Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, no one truly knows what to expect from the veteran quarterback. Pittsburgh has plenty of talent on offense and defense, but there are a lot of holes as well.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, they also have to compete in the same division with both the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Lamar Jackson is the reigning MVP with a complete team around him. Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, and Nick Chubb are stacked offensively and the Browns have a quality defense as well.
Even the Cincinnati Bengals improved immensely this offseason with the selection of Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick. Pittsburgh won't have an easy road to the playoffs in the division in which they play.
It will be interesting to see what this Steelers team is capable of and we will find out in Week 1 with a matchup against the New York Giants. Pittsburgh will need both James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster to step up after down years in 2019.
All of that being said, let's go ahead and dive into three bold predictions for the Steelers in their first game of the season against the Giants.
3. JuJu Smith-Schuster Breaks Out Into Superstar Form Again
One of the major questions surrounding the Steelers this season has to do with star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. After receiving a ton of hype as a legitimate No. 1 option following Antonio Brown's departure, Smith-Schuster struggled in 2019. He caught just 42 passes for 552 yards and three touchdowns on the year.
Granted, he did miss four games during the season, but it was a disappointing year. To start the 2020 campaign, Smith-Schuster is going to be determined to prove a point. He has his old quarterback back and will look like his old superstar self.
Smith-Schuster will terrorize the Giants' defense to the tune of 10 receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown or two. He is going to have a big year—and the Steelers should be just fine at the wide receiver position with him back and playing at an elite level.
2. Ben Roethlisberger Proves He's Still A Capable Franchise Quarterback
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The other major question for the Steelers surrounds the comeback of veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. As many know, he is returning from a serious elbow injury. Some believe he will be just fine, while others expect to see major signs of regression, age, and an elbow that will never be the same again.
Despite all of the concerns, the Steelers are going to be happy with what they see from their franchise quarterback. He isn't going to be a top-five quarterback again, but he is still a more than serviceable franchise quarterback for another year or two.
Roethlisberger will end up throwing for 300-350 yards and a few touchdowns. The Giants don't have a great defense, which bodes well for him to have a good return to the field in Week 1.
1. Pittsburgh Comes Away With A Hard-Fought Win
Finally, the Steelers are going up against a team that is no longer a pushover. Gone are the days of the Giants struggling to get a win. Daniel Jones has taken over and new head coach Joe Judge is an upgrade from what New York has had on the sidelines in recent years.
Even though the Giants are an improved football team, the Steelers are going to come away with the win. Their offense will look much better than it did last year with Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges running the show. Smith-Schuster, Roethlisberger, and James Conner all have something to prove this season.
While this game could very well come down to the fourth quarter, the Steelers will be 1-0 exiting Week 1.
