Mark Madden: These 3 players might be able to save Steelers from mediocrity

The team-friendly media that covers the Steelers does its best to manufacture optimism despite many signs pointing to a 2021 season that figures to be subpar at best.

But I’m creative. So, I’m trying my hand at stooging.

Here are three factors that could weigh in the Steelers’ favor:

• Edge rusher T.J. Watt has a Defensive Player of the Year-type season. (He came close in 2020.)

Disclaimer: In 10 seasons, T.J.’s brother J.J. Watt has won Defensive Player of the Year three times. In that span, J.J.’s Houston Texans have won four playoff games, never getting past the divisional round. Offense means a lot more than defense, let alone one great defensive player. But T.J. Watt is capable of a monster season. Maybe someday he’ll get a postseason sack.

• Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plays truly great, throws a better deep ball and doesn’t fade at season’s end like last year.

Disclaimer: Roethlisberger is 39. He is not very mobile. But he is a Hall of Famer, a proven winner with lots of tricks up his sleeve. Lots of weapons to use, too. But it’s hard to imagine Roethlisberger being better at season’s end a year later (and older). Same goes for his deep ball. It’s also hard to believe he won’t miss games hurt given how rotten his offensive line is.

• Running back Najee Harris is Offensive Rookie of the Year and gets over 1,500 yards in rushing plus receiving.

Disclaimer: The crap offensive line will impede Harris, too, but he is a special player. In terms of raw talent, Harris tops Roethlisberger’s other weapons. If Harris runs wild, he opens things up for the other offensive options. (That won’t occur vice versa. That receiving corps has nothing resembling a prime-time Antonio Brown.) Harris excelling also keeps the offense from being the predictable, lame “chuck-and-duck” debacle it devolved into last season.

One of those three things has to happen for the Steelers to (maybe) make the playoffs. (It would help if more than one did.)

The most likely to come through is Harris paying big dividends as a rookie.

T.J. Watt was awesome last year. It didn’t stop the Steelers from imploding.

Roethlisberger is 39, and he is not Tom Brady. He played last year, too.

Harris is new blood, and he’s got mega talent. Harris is the Steelers’ new hope. (That’s if he can get lots of yards after contact. That O-line really stinks.)

No other Steeler can put the team on his back. Those are the only three candidates.

Some players can be great, but their tangible effect doesn’t reflect their performance.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick had five interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in his first nine games after joining the Steelers via trade after Week 2 of the 2019 season. In the 21 games since, Fitzpatrick has had four picks, one recovery and one forced fumble.

Fitzpatrick is still playing very well. But foes avoid him.

It’s even difficult to judge the direct impact a player like T.J. Watt has.

He had 15 sacks last year. They cost foes 126 yards, not an alarming figure over 16 games. Six sacks ended drives. One forced a fumble. That isn’t a ton of concrete damage done.

Watt is not to be minimized. He also had 13 stuffs and forced two fumbles. He led the NFL in quarterback knockdowns (26) and pressures (61). He was third in hurries (19). He was a beast.

But, more than ever, it’s a passing league. The Steelers’ season hinges on Roethlisberger, like it does with every team and every quarterback.

Roethlisberger had major elbow surgery in 2019, has limited mobility and his deep ball is uncertain. What Roethlisberger doesn’t do can’t be made up for in other ways, or by other people. Defense and running the ball are far, far secondary to passing in today’s NFL.