Injuries were a big factor all season. Willie Parker had two 100-yard rushing games to start the season and looked as if he was recovered from the broken leg sustained near the end of the 2007 season. But he sustained a sprained knee in Week 3 and never was the same until the final week of the regular season. Rashard Mendenhall, the No. 1 pick, broke his scapula in Week 4 and never returned. Mewelde Moore performed better than anyone expected and finally gave the offense a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. But the lack of a short-yardage back was an ongoing problem.

Receivers

Santonio Holmes never was the big-play threat the team envisioned in the regular season, but he more than made up for it with his performance in the playoffs and Super Bowl. Hines Ward had his fifth 1,000-yard receiving season and showed no signs of slowing down in his 11th NFL season. Even Nate Washington had more big-play impact than before, catching a pass of 48 yards or longer in four consecutive games. The team still does not utilize TE Heath Miller enough, but he has developed into their most dependable receiver in third-down and red-zone situations.

Offensive line

Well, so much for the theory that the key to winning games is controlling the line of scrimmage. Roethlisberger was sacked 46 times, second most among NFL quarterbacks, and the Steelers' per-game rushing average (105.6) was the lowest of any playoff team in franchise history. In their defense, season-ending injuries to Marvel Smith and Kendall Simmons forced Max Starks and Darnell Stapleton to play out of position on a line that already had two new starters. The bright light was C Justin Hartwig, who did what he was signed as a free agent to do -- control the AFC's big nose tackles.

Defensive line

The Steelers came within 54 rushing yards of becoming the first team since the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles to finish the regular season ranked No. 1 in total defense, rush defense and pass defense. Also, they allowed an average of just 40.3 yards per game rushing in the postseason and extended their streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher to 22 games. DE Aaron Smith is the best two-gap end in the league and the late-season emergence of DE Brett Keisel, who missed six games with injuries, was a big factor in the run defense.

Secondary

What happened in the fourth quarter against Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald in the Super Bowl should not overshadow the fact that the Steelers led the league in pass defense in the regular season. Or, that, despite allowing four passes of 40 yards or longer in the postseason, they allowed a league-low two in the regular season. SS Troy Polamalu returned as a dominant player, dropping into coverage more and leading the team with seven interceptions -- everything from the one-handed pick against the Chargers to the game-clincher in the AFC championship.

Special teams

This was the most improved area on the team, despite a non-existent return game and shoddy punting. After allowing three kick returns of 90 yards or longer last season, the Steelers finished No. 1 in the league in kick coverage and did not allow a long kick return until a 63-yarder in the playoffs. Their punt coverage ranked No. 4. The addition of free-agent LB Keyaron Fox and rookie free-agent Patrick Bailey to go with Timmons and Anthony Madison were the biggest reasons for the improvement. K Jeff Reed remains among the most reliable in the league.

Ben Roethlisberger separated his right shoulder in the season opener, and it took nearly 12 games before his throwing arm started to feel better. And, while his numbers were below the record-setting ones he posted in a Pro Bowl year in 2007, he had more of an impact because of an inadequate offensive line and an inconsistent running game. All you have to do is witness the six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, none bigger than the one in the Super Bowl, and all the third-down conversions. And don't forget the save Byron Leftwich should receive for his second-half performance at Washington.

It is the best group in the league, headed by James Harrison, who highlighted a season in which he was named the NFL's defensive MVP with perhaps the greatest individual play in Super Bowl history. LaMarr Woodley, who was in his first year as a starter, teamed with Harrison to set a club record for sacks by a tandem (27.5) and was even more of a force in the postseason (two sacks in each playoff game). And, at age 33, James Farrior led the team in tackles and was named to his second Pro Bowl. The emergence of ILB Lawrence Timmons as a force in the nickel and dime packages should only clear the way for him to be more of an impact player next season.

Not enough can be said for the performance of Mike Tomlin, who won a Super Bowl in his second season despite facing the league's toughest schedule with a sore-shouldered quarterback, a sub-par offensive line that lost two starters to injuries and an injured, two-time Pro Bowl running back. His business-like approach and ability to keep the players prepared for the next game is the reason they never panicked. None of that would have been possible without the defense, which understands and executes Dick LeBeau's schemes to perfection. And ease up on Bruce Arians, who always has understood that "Steelers Football" means something else when you have a marquee QB.

Quarterback

Linebackers

Coaching

Jeff Reed

CASEY HAMPTON

Hines Ward

Troy Polamalu

Justin Hartwig

Mewelde Moore