When it rains, it pours, and right now for the Pittsburgh Steelers it’s monsoon season.
Not only is the product poor on the field, the Steelers losers of three straight, the product off the field is poor, too. The lack of effort on the field and then some concerning comments to the media regarding the mentality and emotional state of not only the team, but key players, have raised red flags when it comes to the culture of the Black and Gold.
It’s led to former players like Ben Roethlisberger and Ryan Clark questioning if the Steeler Way is finished. It has also led to current players like Cameron Heyward and Najee Harris being asked about the culture and the buy-in inside the locker room.
For former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, who appeared on the Pat McAfee Show Thursday, all the talk about the Steelers’ culture is “very bothersome” because it could all have been avoided.
“I’ll tell you what, I think it is disappointing to see and hear what George Pickens talks about, ’cause culture really is about…commitment and sacrifice, and you’re not just playing with one another. You’re playing for one another,” Cowher said regarding the Steelers’ culture following Pickens’ comments. “And no, I could never imagine a player at all not performing and giving everything, because to me it’s all about effort. We’re gonna make mistakes. I get it. And sometimes we don’t make the right call.
“But the one thing that should never be questioned is your effort and your ability to be there for your teammate, picking somebody up. So that is very bothersome.”
The talk about the culture being an issue in Pittsburgh — and having a key young player on offense openly admitting he wasn’t trying to get hurt on a play leading to poor effort and leaving a teammate hanging — is very bothersome. Not to sound like an old man yelling at a cloud, but this wouldn’t have happened in the past with the Steelers.
The Steeler Way used to mean something. It feels more and more like it doesn’t mean as much — if anything — at this point. Granted, the times have changed. It’s not as much about being a team as it is about being an individual star and a brand name.
Commitment to the team and being willing to do whatever it takes to win a game used to go a long way. Don’t get me wrong: it still exists in many players, but it’s fewer and far between, especially on the Steelers’ offense right now. Not enough are playing for each other. Too many are playing for themselves.
That’s very evident on tape coming out of the loss to the Colts and was made even more obvious based on Pickens’ comments.
If you lack effort and accountability, it doesn’t matter how good you are. And if there is no accountability above that player from the coaching staff and the team leaders, that will erode the culture further. Though head coach Mike Tomlin stated Wednesday to reporters that he won’t publicly discuss the discipline for Pickens, he is rewarding him with playing time because the Steelers need to win.
We’ll see what that does to the culture moving forward. It can’t be good, especially considering running back Jaylen Warren’s comments.
