Pittsburgh Steelers Face Difficult Road to Repeat

Although the 2009 NFL season is still a few months away, it is conceivable to say that three-fourths of the AFC teams can make the playoffs. Obviously, there is still a lot that can happen between now and September 10th, but what will not change is the competitiveness of the AFC. Houston has come along very nicely since selecting Mario Williams No. 1 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. Kansas City seems to finally have a plan for the long haul. Miami emerged last season as a formidable threat. The Jets have a very solid foundation that will help them compete every week. Even the woeful Raiders, who have been atrocious since their 48-21 loss in Super Bowl XXVII, went 3-3 to end last season, which included knocking Tampa Bay out of a wild card spot by winning in Tampa on the final day of the regular season. Then, there are the perceived heavyweights of the conference. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots, and the Indianapolis Colts have consistently ... (link)