"QUARTERBACKS B+

Ben Roethlisberger passed for more than 4,000 yards and made the Pro Bowl, but his season was punctuated by turnovers (18), sacks (40) and, most especially, injuries. Once he sustained a high-ankle sprain Dec. 8, the offense was never really the same. He had his moments such as outdueling Tom Brady and throwing five TDs against the Titans. But, with a chance to mount a last-minute FG drive and end the game in regulation vs. the Broncos, a costly fumble derailed the opportunity. That seemed to be a microcosm of a season in which the Steelers scored 30 or more points just three times.

RUNNING BACKS C

Rashard Mendenhall waited too long to start being an effective part of the offense, but he was having his best four-game stretch when he was injured and missed the playoff game in Denver. Mendenhall did not have the same impact as he did in 2010, but that was because his attempts were down as the offense leaned more on the pass. But his late-season surge gave him a 4.1-yard average, which was better than 2010. Isaac Redman showed in the Denver game why he deserves to be more of a contributor in 2012. It should be noted the Steelers finished with their highest per-carry average (4.4 yards) since 2001."