The Pittsburgh Steelers have won four of seven games through eight weeks of the 2023 regular season. In 2022, the Steelers had won two of eight games heading into a bye. The morale of the fan base is shockingly lower with a winning record. It is a sad commentary on the state of the black and gold, and Art Rooney II has to start shouldering the blame.
NFL.com
If needed, Steelers owner Art Rooney II could step in and fire offensive coordinator Matt Canada, something that has been done in the past.
CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan wrote an article before Sunday’s Week 8 games about the approaching NFL trade deadline. He identified whether teams should be buyers, sellers, and teams that should stand pat. Sullivan points out that the Steelers should be in the stand pat category. He argues for a group of teams, including Pittsburgh, to hold the line at the deadline.
“The Cowboys, Chargers, Steelers, and Browns are teams that already have solid rosters and just need to play to their talent level to put themselves in contention,” Sullivan writes.
Sullivan has the correct conclusion, but the wrong reason that Pittsburgh should hold the line. The Steelers are going backwards, and now they have lost Minkah Fitzpatrick for at least one game and possibly Kenny Pickett, thanks to an uncalled roughing the passer penalty. Pittsburgh should not be a buyer at the deadline, but here are the three reasons the Steelers should refrain from trading assets.
Peter Diana / Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Steelers Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin is unsure of what role James Pierre will have in 2023
Coaching
Mike Tomlin, Matt Canada, and Teryl Austin are not a player away from winning the Super Bowl. The head coach and his two coordinators, at their very best, have questionable schemes. The Jacksonville Jaguars were the latest team that bragged about knowing what play would be called when Canada’s offense was on the field. They won’t be the last.
The only reason that Tomlin and Austin have avoided a boatload of deserved criticism for the defense is because of TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith's superhuman performances. Splash plays on defense have kept hopes of a division title alive, but the Steelers' defense is extremely top-heavy. Fitzpatrick, Watt, and Cam Heyward are some of the highest-paid defensive players in the league. The defensive game plan seems to be to wait for Watt to make a play. Omar Khan and Rooney should be furious with their return on investment.
Personnel Decisions
It really does not matter what changes Khan makes to the Steelers roster in 2023. Khan and Andy Weidl delivered upgrades that are being ignored or misused. Free agency was hit-and-miss like it is for most NFL teams. The middle linebackers have been very good. Isaac Seumalo has been average, and Patrick Peterson was a miss to this point.
%202023%20Camp%20Final%20with%20Logos/2L9A5037-544x306.jpg "Steelers Darnell Washington")
Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (X: JSKO_PHOTO)
While Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington still awaits his first career catch, he has made his presence felt in the running game with his physical blocking.
A vaunted rookie draft class has been essentially wasted. Broderick Jones delivered an excellent performance when Dan Moore Jr. was hurt and was immediately back to second-string upon Moore’s return. Darnell Washington is ignored in the passing game, which is quite an accomplishment because he is hard to miss. Joey Porter Jr. got his starting job by default. Nick Herbig has been outstanding in limited action. Keeanu Benton, who was drafted to plug the middle, has lost time consistently to Montravious Adams despite the fact he is clearly better.
Players Have Tuned Out
This is a rare occurrence in nearly 50 years of watching Steelers football. The 1988 team had tuned out Chuck Noll and his assistants, including Tony Dungy. Bill Cowher seemed to temporarily lose the team at the end of the last century, but rebounded to win a Super Bowl. Poor schemes without a litany of Hall of Fame players to cover them are a real problem in today's NFL.
Matt Durisko Associate Press
Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson complained in vain about officiating in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The NFL seemingly has embraced a player empowerment movement like the NBA, and the Steelers are suffering for it. Diontae Johnson was perfectly comfortable spouting off about bad calls, but dropped a pass that would have been a huge gain on the game's opening play in Week 8 against the Jaguars. Pickett's play has been uneven, but he is getting substandard coaching. Players can see what is going on, and when the best players get the fewest opportunities, eventually, they are playing for stats and contracts. Not exactly the Steeler Way.
Steelers Poor Run Defense Forcing Steelers To Use Minkah Fitzpatrick Wrong
Fitzpatrick has been ruled out for Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans Week 9 contest. Heyward could return for the Steelers, a welcome addition with Derrick Henry visiting. Pickett might play. If he does not, Mitch Trubisky will be tasked with keeping the Steelers playoff hopes alive on Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football.
The Steelers can't afford to fall to .500 with nine games remaining and expect to compete in the loaded AFC North. They also should not waste assets in trades for players that Tomlin and his current coaching staff simply can't or, worse, won't use. A barely above .500 finish with this group is a complete failure and Rooney and Khan have to be prepared to clean house if it happens.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you against trading draft picks for trade targets that won't see the field for weeks? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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