Coming off their 15-1 season, Big Ben Roethlisberger needed a good season to prove that he was a great quarterback, not just a fluke. He had to work with a team that had lost all its good wide receivers except for Hines Ward. He would need to lead this none passing team to a new level. That would be a Super Bowl. Almost no one thought he could do it.

Most of the year was based upon the running game. Ben never passed the ball more than twenty-five times in one game. Although their style was different from others, they won games using it.

Roethlisberger was the face of the team now, but there was one problem. The Bengals were good. It looked like it would be a battle between these two teams for the AFC north division title. The first meeting was in Cincinnati. The Steelers won in a shootout 38-31. The second meeting was in Pittsburgh. The Steelers never really got started and lost the game. That lose made it almost impossible for the team to win the division.

Other than the Cincinnati games and Indianapolis game, the defense was spectacular. The run stopping ability of the D forced teams to pass the ball. Unlike most years, the corners played magnificently and were in a way the anchor of the defense. The defense never allowed more than thirty-one points (That was against Cincy) in a game. It mostly came down to the offense scoring points which they didn’t always do.

The running game was solid. It was led by first year starter fast Willie Parker. With Duce Staley out with injuries for the second year in a row, Jerome Bettis (The Bus) would be the backup. He was back to try and win his first Super Bowl and it would be in his hometown of Detroit. Willie and Jerome would do most of the work with an occasional carry by Veron Haynes. The running game was the symbol of the Steelers and it would have to carry the team for most of the year.

The wide receivers were not as good. With the loss of Plaxico Burress, there was no one to stretch the field. Also, teams started to double cover Hines Ward. Antwaan Randle El and new player Cedric Wilson would have to step up big time. Neither of these two however really played up to their potential. Fortunately, First round draft pick Heath Miller stepped up big time. He tied the record for consecutive games with a touchdown for a rookie. He also gave Ben a nice, big target and was tough to guard.

Of course, Ben Roethlisberger was the anchor of the team. Although he never passed the ball much, he was accurate. He didn’t have an interception until the fifth game of the season. He was able to mange the game and find ways to not lose the games. He was the leader and fan favorite by far. He never lost his cool. He kept the Steelers in games and was the best player on the team for most of the year.