Anytime you beat the Raiders, whether they are Oakland, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas versions…that’s a good thing. It should bring you cheer.
So why isn’t Steelers Nation as excited as we should be with the 23-18 win and with an improved record to 2-1 on the season?
Is there something wrong with us? Have we fallen and can’t get up as fans?
Are we cheerless? Joyless? Les Misérables?
I mean. That was fun to win, right? To see Pittsburgh Steelers fans completely take over Allegiant Stadium in Vegas, Baby, and literally will their team to victory?
We are enjoying watching football this year, correct?
Can’t we just close our eyes and take the magic pills of winning and let all our worries be cast aside?
No, we can’t, I’m afraid. The evidence for us to experience unfiltered joy is still lacking. The jury is not only out, they probably still are Lost in Las Vegas.
Let’s not lose our grip on reality. We’re ranked 27th in total offense and, surprisingly, are doing even poorer on defense where we’re currently standing at 28th.
But. We. Must. Be. Good. Fans.
So…let’s get out our clown makeup, paint on a big smile, and let’s give this a Spin.
Raidersplaining
Few things make me realize as poignantly how rapidly I’m aging than hearing television announcers having to “explain” the Steelers Raiders rivalry.
For those of us who enjoyed the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 70’s and 80’s, the idea that you would have to explain that a rivalry between the two teams used to be a thing is unconscionable.
There were teams Pittsburgh feared and that provided constant competition during that time such as the Dallas Cowboys lead by Roger Staubach or the Houston Oilers boasting the impressive Earl Campbell.
But there was only one true rivalry back in that day, and it was the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders.
Ken Stabler. Art Shell. Gene Upshaw. Dave Casper. Lester Hayes. Fred Biletnikoff. Jack Tatum. Cliff Branch. Ted Hendricks. Todd Christensen. George Atkinson. Ray Guy.
And, then the newer generation of Tim Brown, Charles Woodson, Bo Jackson, Howie Long, Marcus Allen and of course, Coach John Madden and owner Al Davis.
This wasn’t only the Steelers biggest rivalry, but it was the NFL’s greatest rivalry…and by miles to go before we sleep.
After experiencing that rivalry, even the Baltimore Ravens encounters of the early 2000’s didn’t rise to the level of those Steelers Raiders matches.
Sadly, the Raiders sold their souls years ago with lawsuits against the league and multiple betrayals of their fanbase.
But for those of us who enjoyed the original unrivaled clash of two NFL titans, those film reels are lit up in our memories forever.
War And Peace
Having people try to do real time analysis of Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada’s performance this season is frustrating. You’ll see the cameras give a vantage of Canada in the booth and you can almost imagine people wondering if he can redeem himself with one brilliant play call.
Yet, being an offensive coordinator in the National Football is at a whole other level of rocket science. The success…or failure of an offense is long baked in well before any play is chosen.
It reminds me of Leo Tolstoy’s epic tome War And Peace which I’m currently on page 900 of 1,350. He was describing the decision of Russian General Mikhail Kutuzov to abandon Moscow and leave it for Napoleon Bonaparte’s French army to take it over without a fight.
Tolstoy explained how most people get the job of general all wrong. We imagine them leaning over a map and picking out brilliant plays for their armies.
Instead, Tolstoy explains how these generals have about ten plans in their hands, each being ambitiously proposed by competing generals seeking out their own personal glory. Then there is the deep concerns of safety of the soldiers, and decisions based on their men’s preparedness, training, and morale. These generals also must take into consideration the interests of the locals of the battlefield, and the risks of the regions near and far. There are provisions, and housing, and health and that’s not to mention the infiltration of the spies and the traitors in the ranks.
The choice of whether a soldier should run to this hill or that hill, doesn’t matter a bean. The battle has pretty much already been won or lost before the first shot is fired.
In other words, running an NFL offense, a position typically only 32 people out of eight billion get to enjoy is extraordinarily complex and the offensive ranking has mostly been established before the season even starts.
It’s the result of an enlightened philosophy of play when contrasted to that of opposing defenses, the acquisition of players, the installation of systems, the development of talent, the coordination of assistant coaches, the technology employed, and quality of data research major decisions are based on.
All of this means that your offense is either going to be good or bad, and you’ll know this rather comprehensively early in the season.
It will not only take months to unravel all the tangled wires and cords of this misconceived offense, but our hopes of ever rising to the level of elite status is most probably several seasons away.
At this point, the only true hope for redemption for this offense this season is to simplify everything, scrap any of the complexity that isn’t working anyway, and let the players try to win by relying on their own talent.
Built For Speed
A perfect example of a fully integrated, elite offensive system is the one currently being operated in Miami.
Last weekend, as you know, the Miami Dolphins posted 70 points on the Denver Broncos, not only putting their Flipper fans into a mad frenzy but making heroes out of Fantasy Football managers throughout the world.
The Dolphins ability to gain 726 yards in that game is not happenstance, plum luck, or the result of a few shrewd offensive calls.
This team was designed to reach this level because they brought in a coach in Mike McDaniel with a well proven track record and reputation for being an offensive genius. His strategy and philosophy were fully adopted by the organization and subsequent drafts and free agency acquisitions were perfectly aligned with this vision.
As a result, Miami has the fastest offense in the NFL by far, and perhaps the fastest of all time when you consider the entire roster. Even their ballboys have been clocked at 4.3 forties.
Already in this young season, De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert have collectively earned the fastest five recorded ball carrier speeds in 2023 in the NFL. Not just on the Miami Dolphins team. They have the five fastest times in the whole league.
They also have a player in Jaylen Waddle who is sprinter fast as well.
This is an entirely engineered offense from start to finish. They aren’t alone. Consider the 49’ers offense which we experienced up close and personal. Or the Kansas City Chiefs offense which is at the forefront year after year…by design. Or the Philadelphia Eagles offense built from the offensive line out.
These are squads with clear identities and strategic plans that have been developed over a period of years.
The Steelers can’t get fixed on offense in midseason. The time to do it was last January or the January before.
And with a head coach in Coach Mike Tomlin of a tenure of 17 years, that should have been in the blueprints a long time before.
Sorry. There is no approaching cowboy dressed in black on a brilliant steed on the horizon to rescue this season on offense. The steak’s already been bought and overcooked. Now we’ve got to try to turn it into the best stew possible.
So, you might as well keep your “Fire Matt Canada” chants to yourself until the end of the year.
Bestselling Bookends
The modern edge rusher was not invented by Bill Cowher’s Steelers, but it was highly influenced by that era.
Sure, there were huge talents in the NFL who could rush the quarterback long before this period, with names like Reggie White, Bruce Smith, and Lawrence Taylor to name a few.
Yet, it was the Steelers in the 90’s who discovered a glitch in the Matrix and were able to get huge value by drafting undersized college defensive ends and converting them to pass rushing 3-4 linebackers.
Since they were one of the only teams to run a 3-4 at the time, they had easy pickings when it came to the draft.
Here are a few names. You know them. You love them.
Names like Greg Lloyd, Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Jason Gildon, Clark Haggans, Jason Worilds, and the original Joey Porter.
Unfortunately, the success of Cowher’s defenses, boosted by Dick LeBeau’s success let the cat out of the bag, and soon these same players were being drafted as high first rounders.
It’s hard to pay premium prices for something you used to get on the bargain tables, so the Steelers got out of the market for a while…much to the team’s detriment.
This is why investing so heavily in the careers of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith is so admirable. Although there was a steep price to pay, it will end up being the shrewdest personnel decision the team has made in years.
How is that investment paying off?
Quite handsomely.
This defense can be built on these two pillars for years to come and both of these players are showing what a firm foundation that is this year.
Contrary to the woes of the offense, the defense will get stronger each week this year and will be one of the main reasons why they will get into the playoffs.
Hold Onto Your Hat Cowboy
If ever there was a quintessential trap game for the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers, it would be this one. Just when we’re starting to muster up some positive feelings for our team, we’re about to head off to take on a team that was this year’s preseason favorite to end up as the worst team in the NFL.
The Houston Texans are 1-2 in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL, but they are no slouches. Their rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is one to watch as he’s a talented pocket passer with the ability to run.
Although they are peppered with weaknesses throughout their team, they have a couple of skill players in Nico Collins and Tank Dell that have the capability of making the kind of splash plays that could have Steelers fans drenched in tears of remorse.
After all, it was just last week that Davante Adams got the “All Access” pass to the Steelers secondary.
This is a scary game. And it’s worth double.
It’s hard to know exactly what kind of Steelers team we have this year, but after this game they will either take two steps forward, or two steps back.
If the Steelers fall in Houston, that would be a significant setback in their claims of being a true contender this year.
However, if they pull off another victory on the road, Pittsburgh will be 3-1, with three AFC victories already in their playoff piggy bank.
Any way you shake it, those coins will rattle.
That’s why it’s a Texas Two Step this weekend. Are you ready to dance?
