Steelers: Are Expectations Too High for Keith Butler?
By Lori Paddock
The Pittsburgh Steelers went inside by choosing Keith Butler to replace Dick LeBeau. Will Steeler Nation expect more than he can deliver in his first year?
First things first: I was wrong. I really felt that considering the way Tomlin and Haley were hired (from outside) that the Steeler brass would look outside for a new DC, particularly since they wanted “change.” Bob Labriola gives his view on that on Steelers.com.
Yup, I was insistent that Keith Butler did not have the inside track, but it seems I was wrong. I can live with that.
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Whether it was a true desire for the talents Keith Butler brings or a look at the “market” and not seeing many other desirable candidates, the Steelers stayed with a known entity. That choice could have been an attempt to avoid a repeat of the near mutiny after Haley’s hiring. Players are loyal to “Coach Dad.”
Keith Butler has been under LeBeau’s system long enough to know it forwards and backwards. Long enough for him to adopt it and make it part of his own repertoire. Yet, Tomlin said things will be different.
Just how different can they be in the first year? Will the defense become incredibly simplified that after a few games nearly every opponent knows what to expect?
Will Butler have to keep portions of the LeBeau scheme just because so many of the returning players are used to it?
How effective can a team be when one of the main leaders changes? Every leader deserves the opportunity to lead and direct things in his or her own way. Butler certainly has earned that opportunity with his hire.
Large entities such as NFL teams do not turn on a dime. You will have people who resist change and those who learn slowly. You could have clashes between the players themselves over the change. It usually takes a while to get everyone on the same page.
I may wrong on this too. This may be all the defense needs to get back to playing up to the expectation of Steeler Nation. That expectation is high. We want the Steelers to show well in every game and fight it out to the end, win or not. We don’t want the opponent to get multiple big plays on the secondary or repeatedly break through the front seven.
My friend “Doc,” an Air Force veteran who I respect immensely, thinks it will be two to three years before the defense is at a high level. Doc’s not afraid to tell people they’re a “jagoff” to their face either. He’s a true yinzer and a passionate Steeler fan. I think Doc’s right on this (and I like when he speaks up).
Steeler Nation, we may have to practice patience in this next year, maybe two. Good luck with that Doc!