Afc Central

In January, the last time we looked in on the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were missing only two things in their quest for the AFC championship: a deep receiving threat with good hands and consistency on special teams. They have since filled both voids, which means that the Steelers ought to not only win this division but also challenge the Raiders, the Bills and the Dolphins for conference supremacy.

The talk at Steeler camp this summer was all about first-round draft choice Charles Johnson, a wideout from Colorado with remarkable pass-catching ability. Indeed, during one afternoon workout Johnson was a human highlight film. He reached past one cornerback for a one-handed stab of a Neil O'Donnell bomb; dived across the middle to snag a low pass from Mike Tomczak; and outsprinted another corner and ran under a long throw from O'Donnell.

Johnson has the grace and fearlessness that could make him another Michael Irvin or Sterling Sharpe. "I think I can get deep on NFL defensive backs," Johnson says, "and I love going across the middle. It excites me. And I love to block. I don't know why, but for some reason I love it." In April the Steelers traded drop-prone wideout Jeff Graham to the Chicago Bears, so the starting job is Johnson's to lose.

As for special teams, there should be immediate improvement under new assistant coach Bobby April, whose Atlanta Falcon units were among the league's best. Pittsburgh allowed 13.6 yards per punt return last year, the worst average in the league, and the 21.6 yards they surrendered on the average kickoff return was fourth from the bottom.

An excitable sort, April is also known as a good teacher—and he has his work cut out for him. "Damn special teams!" is what one Steeler screamed as he walked off the field last October after a 28-23 loss in which the Cleveland Browns' Eric Metcalf scored two touchdowns on punt returns. And Pittsburgh's season ended with an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in an AFC wild-card game; the Chiefs had blocked a punt to set up the tying touchdown in regulation.

It first appeared that April would not be working with Gary Anderson, the NFL's 12th-leading scorer of all time, who had turned down a contract that would have doubled his salary (to $812,500 per season). That might have been a blessing for Pittsburgh when David Treadwell, a comparable kicker in terms of distance and accuracy, became available. But last week Anderson came to his senses, and he is close to coming to terms with Pittsburgh.

Except for a lengthy holdout by tight end Eric Green, a franchise player, all went according to form this summer for Pittsburgh. Running back Barry Foster was healthy again after December ankle surgery, and he is ready to be a 300-carry guy. O'Donnell should continue his gradual climb to NFL prominence. And the defense—with bookend pass rushers Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene still in their prime, and cornerback Rod Woodson leading a bruising secondary—returns nearly intact.

"I know we looked like Jekyll and Hyde at times last year," says center Dermontti Dawson. "But the one lesson we took out of last season is that we can play with anyone. We shut out Buffalo during the regular season, and I think we physically dominated Kansas City in the playoffs, though we lost. Those are the teams that met for the conference championship. That gives us faith in ourselves."

No other team in NFL history has had a run like the 1993 Houston Oilers had, then—free agency or no free agency—followed it with so much turnover in personnel in the off-season. The Oilers won 11 straight before losing to Kansas City in the playoffs, thanks largely to a brilliant performance by Joe Montana. Then, by summer, Houston had the guts of its team ripped out. Defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan took his right cross and his 46 scheme to the Arizona Cardinals and took Wilber Marshall, a key part of last year's Oiler defense, with him. Also departing were defensive ends Sean Jones and William Fuller and their combined 23 sacks.

When Houston owner Bud Adams waffled for weeks about whether to keep Cody Carlson or Warren Moon at quarterback, he lost a chance to make a good trade involving Moon. The Oilers wound up dealing the future Hall of Famer to the Minnesota Vikings for a mere fourth-round pick in '94 and a third-rounder next year. Also, nine-time Pro Bowl guard Mike Munchak retired, and free agency and/or the salary cap claimed the NFL's leading punter, Greg Montgomery, plus wideout Curtis Duncan (322 catches in seven seasons) and former star running back Lorenzo White. Whew!