December is in the midst of unleashing hell on head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Currently in freefall after losing three games in a row and for all intents and purposes tumbling out of the playoff race, they are disgracing themselves as they limp to the finish line.
While they are playing without starting QB Kenny Pickett, two of the teams to whom they lost—and three of the last four—are teams who are also playing backup quarterbacks. And the Steelers seemed to believe that they had one of the very best backups in all of football in Mitch Trubisky—who was benched at the end of yesterday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts and their backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew.
“I don’t necessarily have the answers as I sit here today. If I had the answers, we’d have played differently today”, Tomlin said after the game, via the team’s website, in his opening post-game remarks. “But I will acknowledge things won’t continue the way that they are. We’re not gonna keep doing the same things that we’re doing and expect or hope for a different result”.
Very comforting, surely, insisting that everything’s on the table for change. He also promised that changes were coming after being blown out by the Houston Texans earlier this season, and the change that he drew up for himself was the have the team practice in pads.
“I said we were gonna do things different”, he reiterated later in the press conference. “That, I assure you”. But what? Let’s consider some options.
The obvious vocal point has to be the quarterback position. assuming Pickett remains out, we have to think that Mason Rudolph starting is a very strong possibility. Beyond that, I’m not sure how many changes they can make, given the health circumstances.
ILB Mykal Walker could be benched, perhaps in favor of Blake Martinez, who was a healthy scratch, or Myles Jack, who remains on the practice squad. DL DeMarvin Leal, who was inactive last week and this time dressed over Isaiahh Loudermilk, could find himself back to the bench.
In terms of personnel, really, what else could they do? This team is what it is at this point. They can’t fire Matt Canada again. Maybe Tomlin can start calling the offensive plays too. At least that we he can take all the blame on himself.
Things won’t continue the way they are, Tomlin is certain, but how? After losing on a short week, he felt confident that he could get things corrected having a longer break going from a Thursday game to a Saturday game the following week. If that wasn’t long enough, how will a regular work week be any different?
The only real possible reinforcement is Keanu Neal, the safety who remains on the Reserve/Injured List. He is eligible to return to practice, and was as of last week, but did not. With only three games left to play, and a 21-day practice window, if they don’t believe he’s capable of practicing now, you can assume he’s done for the year. At least until next year, I’m afraid all you can reasonably expect is more of the same, especially if Cameron Heyward remains in the concussion protocol.
