The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered yet another tough to swallow loss on Sunday when they faced the New York Jets at home at Acrisure Stadium, falling 24-20. That loss sent the Steelers to 1-3 on the season, and right now, most of Steeler Nation is struggling to find optimism for the rest of the season.
Steelers' defenders, Cam Heyward (#97) and Alex Highsmith (#56) chase a fumble against the New York Jets on Oct. 2, 2022. | Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
During the Week 4 loss, the Steelers seemed to get an injection of energy when head coach, Mike Tomlin, made a decision everyone was waiting for. 2022 first round pick, Kenny Pickett came in as quarterback after halftime, and the energy in the stadium and from the players just felt different.
The Steelers ultimately fell short as the offense, while improved, struggled with turnovers. Pair that with a tired defense that couldn't stop the Jets late, and that is how you lose a third game in a row.
Even though the injection of energy from Pickett entering the game was a great moment, the feeling after the game had Steeler Nation feeling like the season may be a wash. A similar feeling was amongst some of the players, as after the game, star wide receiver, Diontae Johnson called this season "a rebuilding year." No one wants to hear those words, especially Steeler Nation, a fan base that always has the highest expectations for the team.
Following the game, two NFL Network reporters, Judy Battista and Steve Whyche, both disagreed with Johnson's thoughts. Below is what Battista said to lead off the conversation:
"You are still in this. This is not a rebuilding, they don't do rebuilds in Pittsburgh. You're in it in that division and I think going forward, you give him [Pickett] all the reps in practice as the starter."
Battista is correct in the fact that rebuilds aren't something Pittsburgh accepts. However, a large amount of Steeler Nation remembers the misery that they suffered in the second half of the 1980's... so let's just hope that we don't have to repeat that.
Steelers Have Too Many Good Pieces For A Rebuild
In addition to Battista's comments, Whyche doubled down sharing those thoughts. He mentioned about how Tomlin making the move to play Pickett was inevitable:
"Pittsburgh is not in a rebuild. That no, like you said Judy, that doesn't happen in Pittsburgh. This was going to happen, they had to make it happen, and for some people, it actually happened too late."
It is easy to see why so many people are saying that a rebuild won't be happening for the Steelers.
To start, they have one of the best head coaches in the league with Tomlin. Yes he may have his areas where Steeler Nation would like to see some improvement, but he is still one of the elite coaches.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin at practice before Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season. | Abigail Dean / Pittsburgh Steelers
Next, they do possess a very talented roster. Whether it be the playmaking defenders in TJ Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, or the talented skill players on offense with Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, they have the players needed to be a good team and turn it around quick. Maybe even this season.
Lastly, they have youth on their side. Over the last couple seasons, the Steelers have done a very good job of acquiring and keeping their own young talent, which gives them a solid core. It was estimated just prior to the season that the Steelers would have the 9th youngest team in the NFL at 26 years and 2 months on average.
The offense currently has only one starter over the age of 26, and that is FB Derek Watt. The defense also shares some youth, with Cam Heyward being the only starter in his 30's.
Lastly, the Steelers may have the biggest trump card of them all when it comes to a rebuild: a franchise quarterback. There is a chance that Pickett is the guy who can lead the Steelers back to the playoffs in the very near future, and for several years to come. If so, the word rebuild will be out of Steeler Nation's minds by Thanksgiving.
What do you think of the possibility the Steelers could be entering a rebuild? Let us know in the comment section below!
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