The Steelers open the regular season on Sunday with high expectations, both internally and externally.
And some of those external expectations come from those who have been there, and done that.
The reason why, they know the mindset of the team, they see the talent, and they understand the culture.
Santonio Holmes is among those who likes what he sees.
Holmes, the receiver who caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger in Super Bowl XLIII to defeat the Arizona Cardinals, loves what his former quarterback brings to the table as he enters his 14th season with the team.
"Ben is a mastermind," said Holmes. "He has grown to accept his role as a leader for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The guys believe in him and are going to fight for him. Watching him play, doing the things he does, I can relive those moments over and over where he scrambles and then finds you open and hits you with a pass and things like that."
Holmes also likes what he likes what he sees from the Steelers offense overall, up and down the roster.
"There are some young guys out there, but there is one guy setting the platform for every individual," said Holmes. "The receivers have been consistent making plays, but Antonio Brown has taken it to another level. He wants all of his guys to follow the trend and set the mark high the way he is doing it.
"These guys are hungry. That is what the NFL is all about. They want to compete for a championship. Those guys, to have the ego that no matter what happens I am going to outdo this guy, but make sure my teammate is in tip-top shape by competing against him day in and day out. That attitude is going to work to help this team."
It's the mix of veteran leadership and young talent that has Holmes thinking this could be a huge year for the team.
"We believe we have the potential," said Holmes. "That is why the Steelers draft the players they do. They bring in guys who have that mindset of becoming champions. That is what you want to bring in here. There is only one standard of being a Pittsburgh Steelers player, and that is being a champion at the end of the year."
