MLB Baseball Picks: August 1st 2012
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Seattle Mariners
Pick: Toronto Blue Jays -110
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We have been on a little skid with our mlb sports picks but we look to bounce back with Wednesday’s card as there are a total of seven pitchers with ERA’s under 3.00 over their last three starts combined and a total of five pitchers with ERA’s over 6.00 ERA over their last three starts. Check out below our free pick among those seven pitchers and the most likely cold pitcher to win.

Blue Jays -110 (1.1** FREE PLAY)
The Blue Jays will take on the Mariners led by Carlos Villanueva who is 3-0 in his last three starts posting a 1.15 WHIP and a 2.60 ERA. He’s been great on the road posting a 2.85 ERA on the road. His raw stats are great with 9.49 K/9 with the only reason why his ERA is not better is the walks and the HR/9. Well the Mariners are a perfect opponent for that ranked 25th in HR and 19th in BB’s. The Mariners are 30th in OPS overall vs. RHP. I think Villanueva is primed to have another quality start against the Mariners who are 16-36 in their last 52 vs. the AL East and 3-8 in their last 11 vs. the Blue Jays.

They also go up against Blake Beavan who is only striking out 4.77 guys per 9. He’s gotten by with great control, but I’m not sold on him as he’s giving up 1.30 HR/9 and he does not produce many ground balls while posting a 4.83 ERA at home. Encarnacion, Lind and Rasmus are a combined 7-14 with 4 HR off Beavan as they certainly will not miss Jose Bautista in this one. Bevan will struggle and Villanueva will then go 7-0 in his last 7 as a favorite.

Notable Hot Starters:
Cliff Lee (1-2, 0.95 WHIP, 2.05 ERA)
Edwin Jackson (1-2, 1.26 WHIP, 2.37 ERA)
Ben Sheets (3-0, 1.00 WHIP, 0.50 ERA)
Jake Westbrook (2-1, 1.08 WHIP, 2.95 ERA)
Phil Hughes (2-1, 0.88 WHIP, 2.91 ERA)
Zach McAllister (2-1, 1.15 WHIP, 2.70 ERA)

Cold Starter Of The Day:
Though this is not going to be any sort of a sports pick that is backed by our sports monitor we still like to give out the cold pitcher with the best shot at winning because often times there is a lot of value. Today’s pitcher is Texas Rangers starter Yu Darvish who goes up against the hot hitting Angels. I only select him because he’s been one of the rare pitchers that have pitched well in the Rangers ballpark posting a 3.88 ERA. In 69 AB he’s also held the Angels hitters to a .174 average and a .572 OPS.

Notable Cold Starters:
Jordan Lyles (0-3, 1.70 WHIP, 7.13 ERA)
Travis Wood (0-3, 1.91 WHIP, 12.64 ERA)
Drew Pomeranz (0-3, 1.80 WHIP, 10.12 ERA)
Garret Richards (2-1, 1.65 WHIP, 6.06 ERA)

2012 New England Patriots Predictions
Odds to win Super Bowl XLVII: 13-2

The Patriots won the AFC Championship last season but once again fell to the New York Giants (in 2008 as well) in the 2012 Super Bowl. The Pats still have one of the league’s most prolific offenses as long as Tom Brady is back at quarterback. They addressed their defensive issues in the off-season but whether that’s enough to win their fourth Super Bowl, is another story.

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Offense:

Brady threw for 5,239 yards last year, with 39 TDs and 12 INTs. The one major issue is at left tackle as Matt Light retired. Sebastian Vollmer (6-8, 315) is injury-prone, and will move to right tackle while second-year pro Nate Solder (6-8, 319) will take over for Light at left tackle. BenJarvus Green-Ellis is off to Cincinnati. They did sign Joseph Addai was signed in the off-season to compete with Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and Danny Woodhead for playing time. They averaged 110.3 yards/game rushing last year (20th) which was mediocre. They’ve never needed a great running game but a strong one doesn’t hurt. Brady needed some receiving help considering the unit is aging. Wes Welker had another great season, catching 122 passes for 1,573 yards and nine TDs. He was franchised in the off-season.They added WRs Anthony Gonzalez and Brandon Lloyd, who can help. He caught 70 passes for 966 yards for St. Louis and Denver last year. This will be his sixth team. Brady depended an awful lot on his tight ends, especially Rob Gronkowski (6-6, 265), who was second on the team with 90 catches for 1,327 yards and 17 TDs. Aaron Hernandez (6-1, 245) is more of an H-back who caught 79 passes for 910 yards in 14 games. The offense ranked second in the NFL overall in yards per game with 428 and third in points per game with 32.1ppg and second in passing yards with 5,084.

Defense:

Head coach Bill Belichick knew that defense has been the Achilles’ heel of the team for several years. That’s an issue when you have a salary cap and spend a lot of your money on offense. The defense ranked 31st overall, allowing 411.1 yards per game though they allowed just 21.4 points per game. New England lost DE Mark Anderson (10 sacks) to the Buffalo Bills. Andre Carter (10 sacks) was an unsigned free agent and coming off a torn thigh muscle. The Pats drafted Chandler Jones (6-5, 265) from Syracuse, who should slide in at the outside linebacker/defensive end spot right away and help the Pats’ pass rush. DE Jonathan Fanene (6-4, 292) comes from Cincinnati to add depth up front NT Vince Wilfork (6-2, 325) is a Pro Bowler who anchors the middle. He has 47 tackles and 3.5 sacks last year. At linebacker, Jerod Mayo (6-1, 245) was third in tackles with 57 solos, adding two picks. They could use a playmaker and found one in Donta Hightower (6-2, 265), a big inside linebacker from Alabama, who could put his hand in the dirt and play as a pass rushing outside linebacker. In the secondary, the Pats moved Devin McCourty to safety late in the year after he struggled in coverage. He is a very good tackler, who was second on the team with 65 solo tackles. CB Kyle Arrington led the squad with 7 interceptions and 66 solo tackles. It’s never a good thing to have your corners as your top two tacklers. DB Tavon Wilson (6-0, 2030 arrives from Illinois to play safety. They also picked up FS Steve Gregory (5-11, 195) from San Diego, who had 67 tackles last year for the Chargers with just one pick. The secondary was so poor last year, they had to move WR Julian Edelman to nickel corner late in the season.

Special Teams:

Stephen Gostowski made 28 of 33 kicks last year, including a long of 59. Punter Zoltan Mesko averaged 42.8 yards per punt and nailed 24 inside the 20. Edelman (10.6ypr, 1TD) and Welker (10.3ypr) are sure-handed tough punt return men. They can use more explosiveness on kick returns as Woodhead averaged just 21.9ypr and had a long of 37.

Outlook:

Other teams keep improving but as long as the Patriots have Brady, they’ll be a contender every year.

2012 Schedule:

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2012 New York Jets Predictions
Odds to win Super Bowl XLVII: 25-1

The Jets struggled last season on offense (ranked 25th overall), so they decided to sign Tim Tebow. Hello controversy. Tebow will start off as a backup quarterback/fullback/running back/wild cat-type. New offensive coordinator Tony Sparano will find a way to get Tebow involved, but he also has to keep Mark Sanchez’s confidence up. The Jets have more issues than just the quarterback position. They did pick up a raw but talented offensive weapon in the draft, with the selection of Stephen Hill from Georgia Tech.

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Offense:

Sanchez threw for 3,474 yards and completed just 56.7% with 26 TDs and 18 picks (78.2 qb rating). It wasn’t a banner season for Sanchez and now Tebow waits in the wings if he fails. Their passing offense ranked just 21st in the NFL, while the rushing offense ranked 22nd (3.8ypc). The Jets didn’t exactly address that situation in the offseason. They signed Chaz Shilens, a talented but oft-injured receiver from Oakland who can help some. Santonio Holmes (51 catches for 654 yds) is the number one receiver by default. Hill (6-4, 215) is big and fast but will need to transition from the triple-option to the NFL. Shonn Greene had a solid season with 1,054 yards and six TDs. (4.2ypc). He needs a compliment as LaDanian Tomlinson (280yds) was expected to retire. Joe McKnight (13 catches for for 139 yards) will be the third-down back. They drafted Baylor RB Terrance Ganaway (6-0, 239) from Baylor who will give the ground attack another bruiser. The offensive line is led by Eric Mangold (6-4, 307), one of the best centers in the game. LT D’Brickashaw Ferguson (6-6, 310) made his third straight Pro Bowl but struggled against speedy pass rushers. This is still a good line that is the strength of the offense.

Defense:

The defense has been the calling card of head coach Rex Ryan’s Jets since he took over four years ago. That is still the case as the Jets finished fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per game at 312.1 ypg. They were strong against the pass, but just 13th against the run. For the Jets to get back to the playoffs, they need to get more playmakers on the defensive side. They drafted Quinton Coples (6-6, 284), a big pass rusher from North Carolina, who is big enough to play 3-4 end. The Jets’ leading pass rusher last year was Aaron Maybin, a backup outside linebacker, who had six sacks, while Calvin Pace and Bart Scott added 4.5 each. Scott (6-2, 242) is aging, last year, recording 54 tackles last year. David Harris (6-2, 250) is the team’s best linebacker. Last year, he recorded 65 tackles with four picks. At outside linebacker, Pace (6-4, 265) and Bryan Thomas (6-4, 250) need to be more productive. The secondary lost SS Jim Leonhard to a season-ending knee injury in December and may not return. They added LeRon Landry (6-0, 220), a hard-hitter from Washington, who had 48 tackles last season but he’s limited in coverage. FS Eric Smith doesn’t make enough plays and isn’t very athletic. CB Darrelle Revis is the best corner in the game, who had 4 picks and 52 tackles last year. Antonio Cromartie is a very good number two corner, while Kyle Wilson was exploited some last year as a nickel corner.

Special Teams:

The Jets had a tough time returning kicks. Penalties and fumbles all contributed to their problems. Jeremy Kerley averaged 10.9 yards per punt return while Joe McKnight averaged a whopping 31.6ypg on kicks, including a 107-yard TD return. Nick Folk made his first 11 field goal attempts and then made 8 of his final 14, including costly misses against the Patriots and Giants. P T.J. Conley averaged 38.8 yards net but will see some competition against Travis Baltz.

Outlook:

Sanchez will struggle at some point in the season and Tebow will come in and lead the Jets to win some games. The locker room was divided last season over the “Sanchize’s” performance. This move can’t help team chemistry.

2012 Schedule:

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2012 Buffalo Bills Predictions
Odds to win Super Bowl XLVII: 50-1

The Bills started off last season with a 5-2 record and looked like a possible playoff team. Then injuries started piling up as they lost seven starters including running back Fred Jackson, nose tackle Kyle Williams and center Eric Wood and they lost eight of nine games to end the season. The Bills tied the Dolphins for last place, which meant they have no finished last in the AFC East for four straight years. They also finished 1-5 against division foes New England, the Jets and Miami. But there is a renewed sense of optimism based on some very good off-season signings led by the acquisitions of two defensive ends/linebackers in Mario Williams from Houston and Mark Anderson from New England. That should help a defense that ranked 26th overall.

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Offense:

Ryan Fitzpatrick led the team to a 5-2 start and received a $59 million extension. A rush to judgement? Maybe. The 29-year old Harvard grad started with 14 TDs and just seven picks for a 97.8 passer rating and ended up leading the league in picks with 23. During their seven-game losing streak his best passer rating was 51.9. At running back, Jackson was on a great pace to start the season and wound up with 934 yards (5.5ypc) in just 10 games with six TDs. He cracked his fibula on Nov. 20 and will return at 100%. His injury opened the door for speedy C.J. Spiller, who ran for 561 yards (5.2ypc) with four TDs. They should be fine at running back but wide receiver is a concern. Stevie Johnson is back to lead the team with 76 catches for 1,004 yards and seven TDs. Johnson cost his team twice last year during TD celebrations that were flagged for penalty and he is prone to big drops. The Bills drafted T.J. Graham (5-11, 188) from NC State in the third round, who adds great speed. WR David Nelson (6-5, 214) added 61 passes for 658 yards (10.8ypc) and five TDs, but is a possession receiver. Scott Chandler (6-7, 272) is a decent pass catcher but he doesn’t look like he’ll be one of the elite tight ends in the game. The offensive line needed some help at left tackle with the loss of Demetress Bell to the Eagles. They drafted Cordy Glenn (6-5, 345) from Georgia in the second round but many view him as a guard. If he can start at left guard, this could become one of the best lines in the game. Last year, they allowed just 23 sacks despite Wood going down to an ACL injury. And the team’s average of 4.9 yards per carry was its best since 1975.

Defense:

The additions of Williams and Anderson (10 sacks last year) should be a great help to a defense that finished with 29 sacks in 2011. Williams (6-7, 295) is a dominant player when healthy. The defense as a whole yielded a club-record 5,938 yards and an AFC-worst 434 points. Anderson (6-4, 255) is a limited player against the run but he can rush the passer. At defensive tackle, Marcel Dareus (6-3, 319) led the team in sacks with 5.5 and showed why he was taken number last year. NT Kyle Williams (6-1, 306) was lost after the first five games to a foot injury and the defense never recovered. At linebacker, Nick Barnett (6-2, 236) was a nice pickup, recording 130 tackles, three sacks and three picks. Second-year pro Kelvin Sheppard (6-2, 250) earned a starting spot as a third-round pick and finished fourth in tackles with 70. Shawne Merriman (6-4, 265) is attempting another comeback, this time off an Achilles’ injury. He could be in the mix. The secondary needed some help as they added Stephon Gilmore, an aggressive corner from South Carolina with the 10th pick in the draft. He’ll start right away next to Terrence McGee, who was injured last year. Aaron Williams also struggled with injuries as a rookie second-rounder but did win a starting job. They should be much stronger at corner this year if they are healthy. At safety, George Wilson had a career year with 106 tackles and four picks, while Jairus Byrd added 98 tackles and three picks.

Special Teams:

The Bills went through three kickers last year though Rian Lindell should be fine after making 13 of 15 kicks. Brian Moorman is one of the top punters in the NFL, averaging 48.2 yards per kick last year (club record). Justin Rogers averaged 28.7 yards per kick return, tough Brad Smith and Spiller can return punts and kicks as well.

Outlook:

The Bills should be a much-improved team this year, as .500 is certainly possible. A lot will depend on Fitzpatrick and the offense that probably lacks enough playmakers to compete for the AFC East.

2012 Schedule:

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2012 Miami Dolphins Predictions
Odds to win Super Bowl XLVII: 50-1

The Dolphins ended their season winning 19-17 over the Jets. That didn’t make up for their 0-7 start. The Fins lost five games in the fourth quarter as they just couldn’t finish. Part of the problem was an offensive line, which allowed 52 sacks, which was one shy from tying the club’s single season record. The defense struggled mainly against the pass but improved as the season went. Former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin takes over as head coach and along with long-time OC Mike Sherman, will look to run the West Coast offense. The Dolphins traded away WR Brandon Marshall to Chicago. While they didn’t draft a wide receiver high and picked up Legedu Naanee from Carolina, the Dolphins took a chance with quarterback Ryan Tannehill from Texas A&M

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Offense:

Matt Moore led the Dolphins to a 5-5 record when he replaced an injured Chad Henne. Even though he’s considered a journeyman, Moore has put good numbers, throwing for 2,330 yards with 16 TDs and 8 picks (88.7 rating). Veteran David Garrard was brought in as another option in the mix. He’ll hold the fort until Tannehill (6-4, 221) is ready to play. Tannehill has all the tools and is a good fit for the West Coast offense. He just needs experience as he started his career as a wide receiver with Texas A&M. At running back, Reggie Bush silenced most of his critics with a 1,086 yards rushing (5ypc) and added 43 catches for 296 yards and one TD. Daniel Thomas is a bruiser (6-0, 230) who ran for 581 yards but was bothered by a hamstring injury that limited his ability to practice. The Fins added local product Lamar Miller (5-10, 212) from Miami (Fla.) and traded up to get the speedster. TE Anthony Fasano had one of his better seasons, catching 32 passes for 451 yards and five TDs. TE Michael Egnew (6-5, 252) was a productive tight end at Missouri, drafted in the third round who should help. Marshall (81 catches for 1,214 yards) could be a headache and a very productive player at the same time. Davone Bess (51 for 537 yds) and Brian Hartline (35 for 549 yds) are third receivers on most teams. Naanee (6-2, 220) adds some size and caught 44 passes for 467 yards. He could start as WR B.J. Cunningham (6-1, 211) from Michigan State for fight for playing time. The offensive line was a mess last year, especially in pass protection. RT Marc Colombo is gone and the right side is the main concern. They added Artis Hicks to play right guard and drafted Jonathan Martin (6-5, 312) from Stanford in the second round to play right tackle. That should fortify the line and improve the pass protection.

Defense:

Miami spent just one of their first five picks on defense and did some damage in free agency. They drafted Olivier Vernon (6-2, 261) from Miami (Fla.) to improve the pass rush. Last year, Miami ranked 15th overall in yards allowed per game but gave up just 19.6 points per game. They were terrible against the pass, ranking 25th in the NFL. They will move from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense in DC Kevin Coyle’s scheme. That means OLB Cameron Wake (8.5 sacks) will likely put his hand in the dirt and play defensive end. The Fins re-signed NG Paul Solai (6-4, 355) who is a block of granite in the middle. Miami allowed just 3.7 yards per carry and he was one of he main reasons. At linebacker, Karlos Dansby led the team in tackles with 105 and also had two forced fumbles. ILB Kevin Burnett (103 tackles) can play the middle or outside. The Dolphins released SS Yeremiah Bell (107 tackles, 1 INT), a top run defender. FS Reshad Jones unseated Chris Clemons as the starter last year and recorded 67 tackles with 4 passes defensed. Clemons will compete with free agent pick up Tyrell Johnson for the starting strong safety spot. This is still a concern because Clemons and Bell combined for one pick last year and didn’t make enough plays. At corner, Vontae Davis (4 Ints) had a solid season when he wasn’t hampered by a hamstring injury. The weak link was Sean Smith (2 picks, 62tckls) who was picked on all season long.

Special Teams:

The Dolphins have two pretty good kickers in PK Dan Carpenter and P Brandon Fields (48.8yds/punt). Carpenter made 29 of 34 field goal attempts. Bess had a pretty good year returning punts (11.9ypr) but had a long of just 25. Clyde Gates averaged 24.8 yards per kick return and had a long of 77.

Outlook:

The Dolphins should be improved on the defensive line but they are playing a new defensive system without a lot of playmakers. They still have some issues in the secondary and at quarterback, Moore is just holding the fort until Tannehill is ready. This is a transition year for Miami.

2012 Schedule:

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2012 Baltimore Ravens Predictions
Odds to win Super Bowl XLVII: 16-1

The Ravens were a dropped pass away from making their second Super Bowl. But Lee Evans couldn’t hold on in the end zone and Billy Cundiff missed the kick to tie the game. They did capture their first AFC North title since 2006 and swept Pittsburgh for the first time since that year. But they have several issues coming into this year including the Achilles’ injury to Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, who will miss at least the first part of the season. Baltimore also needed some offensive line help and was unable to achieve much in free agency due to the salary cap.

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Offense:

Joe Flacco was looking for a new contract in the offseason but while he wants to be considered an elite quarter, his numbers are solid at best. What he does well is win football games. Flacco threw for 3,610 yds with 20 TDs and 12 picks (80.9 passer rating) and completed just 57.6% of his passes. RB Ray Rice (1,364yds), who was franchised last year, had another big season with 12 TDs and 76 catches for 704 yards. But Baltimore relied on him too often short-yardage situations even with Ricky Williams available. Williams retired in the offseason so the Ravens drafted Bernard Pierce (6-0, 218), a physical runner from Temple, who can help in goal line situations. The Ravens cut Evans after the season and eventually replaced him with Jacoby Jones (6-2, 212), an athletic but inconsistent receiver who should help stretch the field along with speedy Torrey Smith. The second-round pick from Maryland caught 50 passes for 841 yards and seven TDs. Veteran Anquan Boldin (57 rec for 887 yds, 3TDs) is the number one receiver but is on the downside and doesn’t separate that well anymore. Tight ends Dennis Pitta (40 for 405 yds) and Ed Dickson (54 for 528yds) became impact players to make fans nearly forget about Todd Heap. The offensive line is the key here. The Ravens lost left guard Ben Grubbs to free agency and will have to replace him with an inexperienced player. Jah Reid (6-7, 327) is a second-year player who saw some time at tight end in short-yardage situations. He came in as a left tackle but was moved to guard. They drafted RT/G Kelechi Osemele (6-5, 333) in the second round from Iowa State, who can also play left guard. C-G Gino Gradkowski (6-3, 300), a fourth-rounder from Delaware, could also be in the mix at center or guard. Michael Oher (6-4, 310) fit pretty well moving to right tackle while veteran LT Bryant McKinnie (6-8, 335), showed that when healthy and motivated, he can still pass block. C Matt Birk (6-4, 309) considered retirement but is back at 35.

Defense:

The loss of Suggs is devastating for the third-ranked overall defense in the NFL. The OLB led the team with 14 sacks and forced seven fumbles. His presence will be missed for the first half of the season or longer. The Ravens also lost OLB Jarret Johnson (56 tckls) in free agency, who was very sturdy against the run. DE/OLB Paul Kruger (6-4, 260) will likely take over at one of the linebacker spots. He had a career-high 5.5 sacks coming off the bench but has never played full-time. The Ravens did draft Courtney Upshaw (6-2, 272) in the second round out of Alabama. He can play the run and rush the passer but he’s no Suggs. Up the middle, Baltimore will need more pass rush from Pro Bowl DE/T Haloti Ngata (6-4, 345) who had 65 tackles and five sacks, but struggled with a thigh injury. They also need to replace Cory Redding (4.5 scks) as the other 3-4 end, who left for the Colts. Second-year player Pernell McPhee (6-3, 278) had 6 sacks as a rookie in a part-time role. ILB Ray Lewis is back for another year after recording 95 tackles in 12 games (missed 4 with a toe injury). The secondary also returns another Pro Bowl mainstay in Ed Reed, who had 3 picks last year as teams looked to throw away from him but he had just 52 tackles. They Ravens did find hard-hitting SS Bernard Pollard in free agency and he made 75 tackles with 3 forced fumbles. The corners are young and talented led by CB Ladarius Webb (5 picks) and Cary Williams (77 tckls, no picks). Jimmy Smith, their top pick last year, should push Williams for more time.

Special Teams

Cundiff missed the biggest kick in franchise history and didn’t have a great year overall, making just 28 of 37 kicks with a long of 51. Punter Sam Koch averaged 46.5 yards per punt and nailed inside 21 inside the 20. The return game was sub-par last year. David Reed did average 29.7 yards per kick return before injuring his knee but is also fumble prone. Jacoby Jones is a solid punt returner who fumbled twice against the Ravens last year. They drafted CB Asa Jackson from Cal Poly in the 5th round, who can returns punts.

Outlook:

The Ravens are probably not a Super Bowl contender without a healthy Suggs. They can make the playoffs and will need a bigger year from Flacco and the offense to once against overtake Pittsburgh and an improved Cincinnati team.

2012 Schedule:

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2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions
Odds to win Super Bowl XLVII: 16-1

The Steelers are coming off another strong season but it ended harshly in Denver, in a 29-23 upset loss to Tim Tebow in overtime. The Steelers lost to Baltimore twice in the regular season, which meant no home field advantage. Pittsburgh had to rebuild some, getting rid of aging players like LB James Farrior (37) and WR Hines Ward (35), while Chris Hoke (36) retired. Injuries and lack of depth cost them key players for numerous games including star linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley for 11 total games. The Steelers upgraded their offensive line in the draft.

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Offense:

QB Ben Roethilsberger was hampered by a sprained foot, broken right thumb and then a high ankle sprain. He threw for 4,077 yards, completing 63.2% of his passes for 21 TDs and 14 picks (90.1 passer rating). Pittsburgh ranked 12th in the NFL in total offense (372.3ypg) and 14th in rushing yards per game. Roethlisberger may have more pressure on him with Rashard Mendenhall (torn ACL in final regular season game) out for most of the season. Mendenhall rushed for a pedestrian 928 yards (4.1ypc) and nine TDs this year. His backup was Isaac Redman (6-0, 230), who rushed for 479 yards (4.4ypc). He’ll likely get the start with Mewelde Moore backing him up. The Steelers drafted Chris Rainey (5-8, 180), a speedster from Florida in the fifth round. At receiver, Mike Wallace was given a first-round tender of $2.7 million but wants a long-term deal. He deserves one after catching 72 passes for 1,193 yards (16.6 ypc) and 8 TDs. Speedy Antonio Brown (69 for 1,108 yds, 16.1ypc) gives Roethlisberger another vertical option. TE Heath Miller (6-5, 256) is another reliable option who can block and catch. The offensive line was hampered by injuries and age. C Maurkice Pouncey (6-4, 304) is the most reliable player and RT Willie Colon (6-3, 315) can play guard or right tackle. The Steelers drafted a potential Pro Bowler in David DeCastro (6-5, 316) in the 24th pick. The key will be big tackle Mike Adams (6-7, 323), who may start at left tackle or play the right side. At least the Steelers have more options and versatility this year.

Defense:

The number one defense in the NFL last year in total defense, passing defense and scoring defense, but they showed some leaks. They had just 15 takeaways in 2011 (35 in 2010) and ranked just 22nd in scoring offense. The defensive line needs a healthy Casey Hampton (6-1, 325), who is coming off a torn ACL and took a pay cut this year. The Steelers drafted Alameda Ta’amu (6-3, 348) out of Washington in the fourth round and they hope he can take the place of Hampton in the near future. Brett Keisel (6-5, 285) and Ziggy Hood (6-3, 300) play ends in a 3-4 scheme. Both are solid players but not great playmakers. At lienbacker, they have one of the best OLBs in the game in LaMarr Woodley (6-1, 265). He missed six of the final eight regular-season games with a hamstring injury after recording nine sacks in the first eight games. Harrison (6-0, 242) sat out the first four games due to a broken eye socket and one due to an NFL suspension. He still managed 59 tackles and 9 sacks. They have a bigger issue inside with Farrior (78 tckls) gone. They drafted ILB Sean Spence (5-11, 231) from Miami-Fla., who played outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme in college. Lawrence Timmons (6-1, 234) was second on the team in tackles with 93 and two sacks. The secondary has always relied on that outstanding pass rush. SS Troy Polamalu is the best playmaker on the team, who had 91 tackles, two picks and 14 passes defensed. Ryan Clark had his best season, leading the team in tackles with 100 but had just one pick. The corners needed an upgrade and they lost starter William Gay in free agency. Ike Taylor had a strong season until the end. Keenan Lewis came on as the nickel corner and will get a chance to start but that position is still a concern.

Special Teams:

The Steelers could use another kicker for a change. Shaun Suisham converted 23 of 31 kicks including a 51-yarder, but he probably will be back. Punter Jeremy Kapinos averaged 45 yards per punt and nailed 10 inside the 20 after taking over for an injured Daniel Sepulveda. Brown earned a Pro Bowl berth as the AFC return man, averaging 27.3 yards per return on kicks and 10.8 yds/return on punts with one TD.

Outlook:

The Steelers will be competing for the AFC North as long as they have a healthy Roethlisberger. A healthy Harrison and Woodley could put this team over the Ravens, but issues at running back, corner and the offensive line are major concerns.

2012 Schedule:

Be sure to visit ATSsportsline.com this year for winning football picks and expert football betting information from their team of experts. If you enjoyed this 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers predictions and Super Bowl XLVII odds article, then be sure to get even more wagering advice from ATS Consultants by signing up for their sports picks newsletter.