Who would have thought two games in row there would have a sideline controversy?
This week, it came at the hands of Antonio Brown who had what seemed to be a game winning touchdown but the front of his foot stepped out of bounds on the sideline. The ending was fitting for what has been an undisciplined football team. Frustration seems to be boiling over on the part of the fans and Ben Roethlisberger in regards to the second straight non-winning season. Roethlisberger has publicly questioned the play calling on multiple occasions this season. After Sunday’s loss, he was questioned about the play calling by the media and he re-directed those questions to offensive coordinator Todd Haley, more than once. I can’t blame him for his frustration. Quietly Big Ben has been a surgeon out there and making Jerricho Cotchery and Antonio Brown have career years statistically. It is a shame the Steelers have not capitalized on his 350 yard, three touchdowns, zero interception performance yesterday and get a do-or-die win at home. Roethlisberger has also said they will continue to go out there and compete in the coming weeks like any true professional should say. He won’t let his team play like there is no hope, but the fans unfortunately know better.
There were tons of empty seats at Heinz Field yesterday. Some fans are using that to call Steeler Nation a “spoiled” fan base but can you blame the fans? The fans know what they are watching this season. They know that this team is a broken record from last year except everyone is a year older. Fans aren’t going to pay hard earned money and sit in the cold for a losing product. From the home opener against Tennessee with fans leaving early in the 4th quarter to now there hasn’t been a consistent reason for fans to want to gas up the car and make the trek to Heinz Field. No one should ever call out a fan for being “spoiled” because they don’t have the means or time to catch a football game, especially if the team isn’t giving their fan base a reason to cheer. Now that I got that off of my chest, here are some of my observations from yesterday’s game; most will be obvious to the average Steelers fan:
1) It is time for the Steelers brass to step out of their comfort zone and make some controversial moves this season. I know the Steelers normally do not like instability but at the very least Todd Haley and Dick LeBeau need to be gone. Todd Haley and Roethlisberger still after a season and a half with each other are not on the same page. He’ll call a good game here and there but his situational play calling is atrocious. He seems to have a knack for calling the wrong play at the wrong time. He’ll inexplicably stop running the ball if it worked well for a few plays and pass the ball three straight times. No set up plays from earlier trends and no imagination. There needs to be some new faces on defense too. Veterans have become way too complacent under coach LeBeau. I question whether the majority of the players even know what they are supposed to be doing out there. Also, the veterans aren’t setting a good example for the young people. LaMar Woodley lost his position to Jason Worilds. Ryan Clark and Ike Taylor are looking slow and Troy Polamalu is playing more undisciplined now than he is in years. They play as if they have no fear about their job security. That to me falls on coach LeBeau as much as it does on coach Tomlin. You think if LeBeau wanted a young player to get more reps that Tomlin would honestly refute him? LeBeau has forgotten more defensive football than Tomlin could ever dream of knowing. This lack of trust with the young players has allowed for Keenan Lewis to leave last season and possibly Jason Worilds this season. New blood needs to flow through the Steelers coaching staff.
2) Speaking of veteran players not pulling their weight, Ike Taylor, Ryan Clark, and Troy Polamalu need to follow coach LeBeau out the door this off season. LaMar Woodley is welcome to leave too for all I care. The secondary play has been atrocious at times this season. Ryan Tannehill threw 3 touchdowns yesterday. Meanwhile Keenan Lewis has been playing pretty well over in New Orleans for 5 years and $22 million. Meanwhile, Ike and company have allowed 100 yard receivers like it’s going out of style. Their play is below the line and none of them should be receiving a contract this off-season. Use that money to resign Jason Worilds and Cam Heyward and have some young nucleus to build around.
I wrote a few weeks back that the Steelers direction needed to focus on building a young defensive squad. The poor offense the first four games this season have proven to be overblown. When Ben Roethlisberger is able to have creative freedom to run the offense and the players are healthy, this offense can move the chains with regularity. If the Steelers add a young, big, physical receiver with a change in philosophy from the coaching staff, this offense has top-five potential. There is hope for the offense looking forward. This defense however has reached many low points this season with little to no hope for replacements. I blame that on bad drafting on that side of the ball, complacent coaching, and sloppy play from the veteran leaders. Will the Steelers’ management do what’s right and terminate these bad contracts and fire these bad coaches? I’m not sure but it is shaping up to be a rough December and dark January in Pittsburgh. …again.
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