Whistling in the dark
by M. Stewart
Of all the Pittsburgh Steelers' losses over the past several years, none has felt like yesterday's loss to Houston. This one felt like the end of an era.
Just four games into the season, most Steelers fans are wondering how they're going to make it through the remaining 12 games watching what appears to be a team full of wealthy has-beens who can no longer man up.
We all wrote off the opening-day debacle in Baltimore as one of those fluke "head" games. We said it was Baltimore's Super Bowl--a game the Ravens were obsessed with the entire off season. The Seattle game seemed to set everything right until Pittsburgh went to Indianapolis, which, despite the win, revealed serious problems with the defense. Yesterday's loss to Houston magnified those problems.
Ben Roethlisberger injured his foot near the end of Sunday's game and may not be able to play next week against Tennessee. Operating behind one of the worst offensive lines in NFL history, Ben is lucky he's not in a wheelchair. Throw in a defense that can't stop the run or the pass, and you realize that this is going to be a long season.
What's so frightening to fans is that the problem is physical. Star players don't seem to be able to play anymore. They're getting pushed around, run over, beat up. They just aren't up to it. Great teams like Green Bay, Baltimore, and New England look invincible compared to the Steelers, who can't even match up with second- and third-tier teams. At this point, beating the Tennessee Titans seems impossible.
Head coach Mike Tomlin certainly has his work cut out for him. I'm not sure what the solution is, but it isn't coaching, strategy, or preparation. If your players can't execute on either side of the ball, if they can't score points or stop the other team, they can't win.
I hope I'm being overly dramatic and that Tomlin will find a way to right the ship, but I'm not holding my breath. When your problem is personnel, you have to start by changing personnel. The obvious thing, then, is to sit down some unproductive veterans and let the younger guys have at it. After all, a 2-2 record isn't so bad, and the schedule is comparatively weak. There is plenty of time left for good things to happen, right?
Or is that whistling in the dark?
Of all the Pittsburgh Steelers' losses over the past several years, none has felt like yesterday's loss to Houston. This one felt like the end of an era.
Just four games into the season, most Steelers fans are wondering how they're going to make it through the remaining 12 games watching what appears to be a team full of wealthy has-beens who can no longer man up.
We all wrote off the opening-day debacle in Baltimore as one of those fluke "head" games. We said it was Baltimore's Super Bowl--a game the Ravens were obsessed with the entire off season. The Seattle game seemed to set everything right until Pittsburgh went to Indianapolis, which, despite the win, revealed serious problems with the defense. Yesterday's loss to Houston magnified those problems.
Ben Roethlisberger injured his foot near the end of Sunday's game and may not be able to play next week against Tennessee. Operating behind one of the worst offensive lines in NFL history, Ben is lucky he's not in a wheelchair. Throw in a defense that can't stop the run or the pass, and you realize that this is going to be a long season.
What's so frightening to fans is that the problem is physical. Star players don't seem to be able to play anymore. They're getting pushed around, run over, beat up. They just aren't up to it. Great teams like Green Bay, Baltimore, and New England look invincible compared to the Steelers, who can't even match up with second- and third-tier teams. At this point, beating the Tennessee Titans seems impossible.
Head coach Mike Tomlin certainly has his work cut out for him. I'm not sure what the solution is, but it isn't coaching, strategy, or preparation. If your players can't execute on either side of the ball, if they can't score points or stop the other team, they can't win.
I hope I'm being overly dramatic and that Tomlin will find a way to right the ship, but I'm not holding my breath. When your problem is personnel, you have to start by changing personnel. The obvious thing, then, is to sit down some unproductive veterans and let the younger guys have at it. After all, a 2-2 record isn't so bad, and the schedule is comparatively weak. There is plenty of time left for good things to happen, right?
Or is that whistling in the dark?
posted by M. | 7:27 AM
3 Comments:
Am I the first to return to the comment section? Please say this is a mirage. Please, God.
Yay for comments
Well, it is about time ! Thanks Matt, makes your blog more interesting with all the banter. lol
Post a Comment
<< Home