The Steelers players and coaches possess inner fortitude
I don’t think there is any denying the fact that with the exception of a couple of games, this season has shown us that both players and coaches possess the inner fortitude necessary to withstand the adversity the Steelers have faced thus far this season.
Against the Titans, that adversity was really self-inflicted. I honestly can’t remember a game where we had a 20 point lead, let it almost evaporate only to have a makeable FG missed by the opposing kicker.
I think teams that do not possess the attitude necessary to overcome adversity will generally find a way to lose a game in which a 20 point lead existed. Fortunately, the Steelers do possess that ‘mental toughness’ that, quite frankly, we needed against the Titans.
That ‘mental toughness’ aside, the Steelers earned a win against the Titans to not only remain undefeated but to perhaps send a message to the rest of our opponents. What is that message? I think the message is pretty simple: we will not quit; we will not let you win unless you beat us, but we will not beat ourselves.
Look, I think it’s fantastic that the Steelers are undefeated through our first six games, but we are a flawed team. Every team has its flaws, that’s a fact. It’s a boon to be able to work on our flaws while being undefeated, but what happens when the offense can’t score at least 21 points and the defense gives up too many big plays by deploying that ‘Cover 1’ we talked about? Let’s hope the Steelers don’t have to cross that bridge anytime soon.