GM Kevin Colbert feels 'better' about Steelers than at this time last offseason

For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a non-playoff season. And for the second year in a row, the win total has dropped — from 13 to nine to eight.

While acknowledging the team’s .500 record was “below the standards that are expected here,” general manager Kevin Colbert said Thursday he’s more optimistic this February than at this same point in the 2019 calendar.

“We’re all disappointed at 8-8, but I feel better moving into 2020 than I did moving into 2019 coming off 9-6-1,” Colbert said during a 25-minute question and answer session with reporters.

Pressed for specifics, Colbert said: “Just the way I feel about the group coming back.”

Franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who turns 38 in March, is recovering from season-ending right elbow surgery that limited him to two games, but the performance of the Steelers defense last season provides reason for Colbert’s optimism.

The Steelers finished No. 5 in total defense and had the third-best passing defense in 2019. That helped offset an offense that, minus Roethlisberger, was one of the worst in the NFL.

“Our defense was really good last year, and they kept us in a lot of games,” Colbert said. “We always talk about when Ben was healthy and we held a team to 21 points, his record was 121-20. When we lost Ben, we knew we had to hold teams to lower than 21 points because we knew we probably weren’t going to get to 21 points.”

The Steelers made the uncharacteristic move of trading their first-round pick for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who helped spark the defensive resurgence in Week 3. The Steelers also lowered the bar on points allowed to 17.

Colbert pointed out that Mason Rudolph was 4-0 in games he started and completed when the Steelers held opponents to 17 points. When Devlin Hodges replaced Rudolph, the Steelers altered their approach again, according to Colbert.

“We took it down another notch and said we had to hold teams to 14 points,” he said. “When we did that, we were 1-0.”

The Steelers, though, scored only 10 points in each of their final three games — losses to Buffalo, the New York Jets and Baltimore that knocked them from the playoff picture.

If outside linebacker Bud Dupree is re-signed or given the franchise tag and defensive end Stephon Tuitt returns to health, the Steelers will have nearly their entire defense back next year. The Steelers can decide between Feb. 25-March 10 whether to use the franchise tag worth an approximate $16 million on Dupree. Nose tackle Javon Hargrave could be the only departure among defensive starters.

“Our defense is better moving into 2020 than it was moving into 2019,” Colbert said. “I feel optimistic we’ll have Ben back and hopefully our health kicks back in for (running back) James Conner, for (tight end) Vance McDonald, for (wide receiver) JuJu Smith-Schuster. That remains to be seen, but I am more optimistic about 2020.”