The Seattle Seahawks flew in from the West Coast last week, and in front of way too many of their own fans, they confirmed what Steelers Nation already feared. That’s that Pittsburgh isn’t very good this year.
In fact, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t been exceptional since the days of the Killer B’s, those thrilling offenses featuring Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown, with Martavis Bryant tossed in as a bonus B.
Even those days were strange days because the team was all hat and no cowboy when it came to defense during that era.
These days, we’d probably settle on at least being all hat. This team is grasping for its lost identity. It’s currently a Steelers team in name only.
It’s only the third week of the season, and already, the Usual Suspects of performance excuses are being marched out to the lineup: communication issues, gap management, missed assignments. Just a tweak here or there is all that is required.
What is truly suspect is Pittsburgh’s life in the trenches.
Whether or not the Steelers have a winning or losing campaign is all on the line, as in the offensive and defensive lines.
It’s as simple as that. Either this team’s big men stop getting bullied, or this will be yet another disappointing season of having our lunch money stolen by superior, tougher teams.
What can we do as fans? We can give it a Spin.
What’s Wrong With You People?
Following a Week 1 performance that had people thinking he had discovered the Fountain of Youth, Aaron Rodgers aged tremendously within a period of seven days.
He looked older, grumpier, and appeared to be running out of patience with those tasked to give him more than two seconds’ peace and quiet before being crushed by angry 300-pounders.
After the game, he was asked about his clearly visible frustration on the field. He responded with some well-delivered player speak.
“It’s Week 2, now. Come on now.”
But au contraire, Mr. Rodgers. It’s not been two games. It’s been nearly fifteen years since Pittsburgh fielded a team that could be considered dominant.
So, although this team is new to you, things are getting old for us.
Certainly, the season is still young, and Coach Mike Tomlin has plenty of time to get this team back up to his usual standard of fair to midlands.
Yet, it’s not too early to realize this team is far from elite. Based on the evidence of the preseason and these first two regular season games, the Steelers are going to be hard pressed to rise to the level of halfway decent.
Which leaves us to look squarely into the eyes of the Rooney family and say, “Come on now.”
The JV Squad
The Steelers’ rough start is complicated by the fact that they are playing the Junior Varsity stretch of their schedule.
The New York Jets. The Seattle Seahawks. The New England Patriots. These were the softy cake teams on the schedule. With the Minnesota Vikings experiencing major early-season issues of their own, it was perfectly feasible the Steelers could have, and probably should have, gotten off to a 4-0 start.
Those are four teams where you could easily say, “Where is the beef?”
Because after the first four games of the year, meat will be back on the menu with tough divisional matchups and the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, and the Detroit Lions lurking as well. Even the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts have yet to experience defeat this year, and will most assuredly be tough outs.
You Know The Drill
To say that Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson is off to an inauspicious start to his NFL career is an insult to Captain Obvious. Based on the fact that he’s not getting touches on offense and looks like he’s struggling to get his treadmill up to NFL speeds, there are grumbles of buyer’s remorse from Steelers Nation, and most probably a good portion of the Pittsburgh organization.
His play has lacked any element of flash, which is not good news when an organization invests in a player with a higher draft pick.
When you add to this concern his major guffaw of a kickoff non-return, which gifted the Seahawks with a complimentary touchdown, it’s fair to say his stock is dropping rapidly in the company.
Still, it’s hard not to ask the question, “How could that mistake happen at the NFL level?” Isn’t Special Teams Coach Danny Smith primarily at blame?
One of the Steelers former players, Joe Haden, defended Smith, saying, “He teaches that.”
But is merely “teaching” a player a rule good enough when it comes to a mental error that costs a team a game? I mean, shouldn’t that be not just taught, but drilled into the player’s head…like over and over and over again? It’s somewhat baffling that it wouldn’t be.
Maybe in the modern NFL era, getting drilled is something of the past. With all the limitations on player practice times both during the regular season and throughout the offseason, maybe there isn’t time for drilling. Maybe there is only time for teaching.
Regardless of the explanation, it’s an inexcusable error at the professional level. That was amateur hour for both the player and the coaching staff.
Band Of Mercenaries
This season has an odd feel to it. The team Coach Mike Tomlin and the front office put together for this year certainly features players who are intriguing and entertaining.
When you look at this year’s new players like Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Darius Slay, and Jalen Ramsey, you’re talking about some of the best players to have ever played their respective positions.
Each offers a unique skillset, a wealth of experience, and prior success. They clearly love football and enjoy competing at the highest levels.
This is all true. But do they really love being a Pittsburgh Steeler? Are they REALLY Pittsburgh Steelers?
The litmus test for this question is easy for NFL players. You simply ask them, “If you make it into the Hall of Fame, which team would you represent?”
Even if Rodgers somehow miraculously won a Super Bowl with the Steelers this year, his answer to this question would be without any pause.
He is going into the Hall of Fame as a Green Bay Packer.
This Steelers team may end up having a winning season after all. But, if they do, it will be because of their mercenaries.
Clint’s Advice
Newcomer Jalen Ramsey has been featured on both the highlight…and lowlight reels for the Steelers this season. His close-out-the-game hammer blow tackle against the New York Jets was a key highlight of their squeaker of a win.
His interception against the Seahawks was another standout play.
Unfortunately, Ramsey’s lowlight reels include numerous occasions of chasing the feathers of opposing wide receivers who blew by him.
Does this mean Ramsey hasn’t been a quality acquisition? No…that’s not the case, but there are indications that he may want to heed Clint Eastwood’s advice in one of his Dirty Harry movies.
“A man’s got to know his limitations,” Harry Callahan said while pointing the barrel of his Smith & Wesson.
Ramsey needs to realize that time erodes quickness.
He clearly has enough speed to still cover NFL wide receivers, but he’s also demonstrated he doesn’t have a “cleanup on aisle nine” pace anymore. He’s not fast enough anymore to catch these younger, faster players if he makes a mistake.
He’s going to have to use wisdom over delusion if he’s going to prove to be a clear asset on defense.
The Tomlin Paradox
Regardless of the level of Tomlin fatigue Steelers Nation may be experiencing locally, Coach Mike doesn’t have to worry about running out of avid fans in the NFL anytime soon.
Most outside of the organization would still easily rank him in the Top Ten of best active coaches and find it odd that his greatness would be questioned.
“Steelers fans have no idea how good they have it,” is a common on-air refrain.
Within the fanbase itself, however, the groans are growing more and more audibly. Even those who were diehard Tomlin fans are beginning to notice the Emperor’s clothes lying in a pile in the corner.
What’s keeping him gainfully employed is the Tomlin Paradox.
Tomlin hasn’t changed from who he was almost ten years ago, when his ability to win another championship was beginning to be firmly questioned. It’s the same Tomlin today as he was back then.
This means those who defended him so vociferously would be forced to make a difficult choice. They either have to keep standing behind their man or admit they’ve been wrong all along.
That’s an admission most people don’t like to make, even when it’s staring them in the face.
Glory Days
I’m afraid this long draught of playoff success is turning me into one of THOSE people—those who get stuck in the past.
How did this ever come to be?
Bruce Springsteen is sadly singing my song of the Steelers every time he performs his hit song Glory Days. Here are just a few of the lyrics that hit so painfully home.
Think I’m going down to the well tonight
And I’m gonna drink ’til I get my fill
And I hope when I get old, I don’t sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back
Trying to recapture a little of the glory of
Well, the time slips away
Leaves you with nothing, mister, but boring stories of
Glory days
A Faded Rivalry
It’s difficult to wax poetic about the once-great Steelers and New England Patriots rivalry.
That’s because Tom Brady always waxed Pittsburgh in the games that mattered most. Just thinking about those heartbreaks from the past is enough to get you to start spinning up some of those old Blues albums.
But as far as a rivalry today? It’s laughably non-existent between the two teams.
Off the top of your head, can you name three New England Patriots players (not including any on your Fantasy Football team). It’s not easy to do. They have one of the most no-name teams in the league.
Yet, that shouldn’t concern head coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots, as the Steelers have already struggled against two no-name teams this season.
It’s all on the line this Sunday.
If the Steelers mush sleds up front can’t heal thyselves and start pulling their proper loads, it’s going to be another mushy year for Pittsburgh.
That should matter to the Rooneys. But, will it?
If the Steelers lose this one, that might be the only intrigue left this year.
