The standard in Pittsburgh is winning Super Bowls, but the team in recent years has had a hard time even winning a playoff game. The Pittsburgh Steelers last won a playoff game in the 2016 season against the Alex Smith-led Kansas City Chiefs. Before the Steelers win a Super Bowl, they have to win a playoff game, and if Week One was any indication it seems like they are a far way out from that. Yesterday, Colin Cowherd compared the Steelers to a well-run business that has no upside because of Pittsburgh’s commitment to its defense and loyalty.
“A defensive culture in an offensive league, never great but never terrible, and you pride yourself on loyalty and continuity; you sound like a well-run business without any upside,” said Cowherd on The Herd, which was posted to YouTube by Amir bangla TV. “You’re profitable, you’re stable, it’s a way to make a living. In 2023 that’s the Steelers. It’s a restaurant that never changes its menu.”
For what feels like years now, Cowherd has ragged the Steelers about their commitment to defense and having a defensive head coach in an offensive league. After Pittsburgh got annihilated on both sides of the ball in Week One, Cowherd has more ammo as the Steelers’ highly paid defense could not stop the San Francisco 49ers led by their offensive-minded head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The Steelers are consistently in the playoff hunt and haven’t had a losing record since 2003, but where has that gotten them recently? Pittsburgh hasn’t played in the Super Bowl since the 201o season and has won only three playoff games since Super Bowl XLV.
Firing head coach Mike Tomlin is not the right thing to do even if Cowherd believes the team needs a more offensive-minded coach. But to balance Tomlin’s defensive acumen Pittsburgh should have gone out and acquired a high-level offensive coordinator. Instead, the Steelers stuck with Matt Canada and the results are looking the same as they have the past two seasons: dreadful.
Obviously the Steelers’ offensive struggles in Week One were not all on Canada, but his play calling was bad and did not help anything. Cowherd also took a shot at Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, calling him the worst quarterback in the division and referencing the quarterback drought the team endured between Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger.
“There is no question Kenny Pickett is not Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, or Deshaun Watson,” Cowherd said. “He’s the fourth-best quarterback in their division. And remember what the Steelers were in between Terry Bradshaw and Big Ben. Never great, never really terrible.”
The Steelers have a big game Monday night against the Cleveland Browns. A lot of criticism is on the team right now and rightfully so. There is time to prove that the business model they have in place still works, but the team is going on seven years without a playoff win. That is unacceptable in Pittsburgh, and it needs to change because that model is not something the fans are okay with.
