It’s been a long time since the Pittsburgh Steelers started the season 0-3. Six years to be exact, when they began their 2013 opening slate 0-4 through the bye week.
Last year, the Steelers almost found a winless three-game opening series, but skated by Tampa Bay by six points in Week 3 after tying the Browns and losing to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively. I’d argue the problems we see this year began before last season even began. I’d also argue it isn’t all bad luck, but would point to a lack of the “winning formula” and a loss of identity – I’d be one to know, too, as a Redskins fan.
I’m seeing a lot in the Steelers’ coaching staff and front office that I saw years ago in Washington after Joe Gibbs left for the second time.
The Steelers are partially the unfortunate victims of a changing league — one where superstars are pinning coaches into submission until they either get released or get the contract they want. The other side of the failing equation is Mike Tomlin. When you have a stubborn, old school coach like Tomlin you’re going to hit a brick wall from time-to-time. You’re going to have to rebuild. But I think Tomlin started to throw in the Terrible Towel at the end of 2017.
What was a heartbreaking upset by the Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs two years ago, following a 13-3 season to clinch the AFC North regular season title, the mood in Pittsburgh seemingly flipped. It was Tomlin’s fourth playoff loss in four years. It was also his first divisional playoff loss after missing the Super Bowl in 2016, losing to the Patriots in the conference championship game. This year, the team probably won’t even make the playoffs, especially after losing its franchise quarterback.
But that’s no reason to treat the newbie Mason Rudolph like he’s straight out of college. The play calling in this last game — what should have been a win — was dismal at best. To get five turnovers and still lose to San Francisco by four points is atrocious. To not trust Rudolph to run big plays is abysmal. How are you going to let your backup not air it out to JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Washington? How are you going to let your second-year QB average 12.4 yards on 17 passes? Has he not been prepared playing understudy to one of the best players to ever go through the league?
It’s simple — the Steelers have lost the winning formula.
Rudolph’s support isn’t there. The receiving corps still isn’t clicking, and it wasn’t with Ben Roethlisberger, either.
A top running back in 2018 during Bell’s hold out, James Conner, had 973 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 215 attempts last year. This year, he’s had 34 touches, 97 yards (a 2.9-yard average) and one touchdown so far. His most came on Sunday — rushing 13 times for 43 yards (3.3 per carry).
As for the defense — probably what the Steelers are known for the most — is nonexistent. The group has given up 85 points has grabbed six interceptions and forced two fumbles. They’ve allowed 75 first downs, 18 of 38 3rd down conversions, one 4th down conversion and 1,326 total offensive yards. Without getting into the numbers, last year wasn’t much better.
“We gotta find a way to get off the damn field,” defensive end Cam Heyward told he Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Joe Starkey.
Mark Barron and Maurkice Pouncey had similar sentiments.
“To start 0-3 sucks,” Barron said. “It’s aggravating. I’m so frustrated,” Pouncey noted. “I’m not a loser. I hate losing football games … We’re just facing adversity. We lost our franchise quarterback. I know that’s not an excuse, but at the end of the day, it’s adversity.”
Moving away from Sunday’s poor outing, not many expected the Steelers to win in Foxborough, Mass. in Week 1, and Tomlin was quoted as saying, “We weren’t ready for prime time.”
No kidding.
After getting edging by Seattle, Tomlin had a little more to say, noting the big losses in Big Ben and others, “That wasn’t the reason we didn’t win this game. We were fully capable with the guys that were on the field,” he said. “We didn’t play clean enough, particularly in some moments. We have to get better. We accept responsibility for it. We are not looking to make excuses … We have to make plays. The guys that represented us on the field are fully capable of that. We didn’t make enough of them and that is why we lost the game.”
One of those capable guys, he said, is Rudolph. But actions speak louder than words. Rudolph isn’t trusted.
Prior to the matchup with the 49ers, Tomlin told Bay Area reporters that he, “enjoys the challenges and the adversity that the game presents,” but his tune changed Sunday. Out of a heavy-aired press conference and heading forward into a battle of the winless this week with Cincinnati, Tomlin simply put it, “We won’t blink.”
That’s certainly not the best way to leave the presser, since his Steelers are at the bottom of the league standings along with Denver, Cincinnati, Miami and the Jets. In the AFC North, they’re in the cellar with the Bengals.
If the Steelers want to get the winning formula back, changes need to be made at the top. Tomlin may want to blink, and blink hard.
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