Jordan DeFigio, @fidgenewton
SteelerNation.com
There have been whispers - okay, maybe yellings - that the Pittsburgh Steelers are showing us who they've been all along:
A washed up and overrated group of aging has-beens that was never destined for greatness - only failure.
The AFC is by far the superior conference. With the Cleveland Browns accelerating at the right time, the Baltimore Ravens making a late-season playoff push, and the Kansas City Chiefs being crowned as simply unbeatable (guess we aren't counting their loss to the newly-minted Las Vegas Raiders), the Steelers were dubbed by analysts as the weakest link in the playoff picture long ago. And with their two-game losing streak, those analysts are feeling justified in their scrutiny of the struggling Pittsburgh team.
But that just doesn't feel right.
Not after the remarkable 11-0 start.
Not when game after game, this banged-up worn-down injured-half-to-death team found ways to win, albeit sometimes in the ugliest of ways.
For so long, they stayed poised, determined, and focused. Their goal? To win the game right in front of them. And, despite what many claimed, they beat good teams along the way.
The then-undefeated Tennessee Titans.
The 2019 AFC North Division Champion Baltimore Ravens. Twice.
The projected potential 2020 AFC North Division Champion Cleveland Browns. And they beat them handedly.
The team we've had the misfortune of watching the last three weeks is not that same team.
To be fair, their schedule has been greatly affected by other teams' inability to follow the Covid protocol and their roster greatly affected by injuries to key players (Zach Banner, Devin Bush, Bud Dupree to name a few). But Mike Tomlin has sayings for any and all circumstances:
"We do not care."
"Next man up."
"We don't live in our fears."
So why then does it feel like the players DID care, and cared very much, that their schedule was boned over by the league (I'm not saying they should or shouldn't have, just lacking consistency to practice what's preached)?
Why does it feel like each next man that's called upon isn't given much opportunity to succeed?
Why does it feel like they very much ARE living in their fears by avoiding Ben Roethlisberger's strengths to hide his weaknesses and reducing Chase Claypool's snaps because they're concerned he'll hit the rookie wall? Or perhaps more glaring, letting the last minute of the half tick away in what's arguably the biggest game of the season as their two timeouts sit untouched?
Seriously, what is going on with this team? And, with the playoffs less than a month away, which version of this team are we going to see when the postseason actually starts? They have a chance to win the AFC North this Monday night with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but good luck finding someone who feels confident they'll march into Cincinnati and claim that title. It just doesn't seem possible given the dumpster diving performances we've seen the last few weeks. And that's across the board, too. The offensive line looks old and tired. When they do create any type of hole, the running backs either don't see them or can't capitalize on them (I love James Conner but he ain't it, chief). Roethlisberger's arm looks shaky and, honestly, weak. The receivers can't stop dropping the damn ball. The play-calling is uninspired and ineffective. And the poor defense, much like last year, is left trying to pick up the pieces of the imploding offense. And they can only do so much when they're on the field as much as they are.
At some point, this team is going to have to get really honest. Maybe not with us, but at least with themselves. They are not performing at a level that would carry them past Wild Card weekend. In a contract year, Randy Fichtner's face is permanently plastered with a look of confusion. Not ideal. Tomlin can't seem to manage the clock. After so many years without a losing season, he needs to start putting up numbers that produce results that stretch into the postseason. Otherwise, who cares? Roethlisberger's twilight years are fading away and people are calling for the organization to start searching for his heir. Something has to give.
Actually, EVERYTHING has to give. There are too many issues to count. And on top of it all, they look hopeless, lifeless, gassed. No one single person is to blame because everyone is to blame. But no one seems to be taking charge and making adjustments that create results.
Oy vey.
I don't have the answers for how they can fix it, but I'm sure hoping they do. And that they do it fast.
What's your assessment on why the Steelers have struggled lately? Let us know in the comments below!
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