If Steelers want to win it all in 2021, near flawless execution will be key

If the 2021 Steelers want to hoist another Lombardi Trophy, playing nearly flawless football will be the difference

So you may be wondering why I stated that near-flawless execution will be the key as opposed to flawless execution will be the key.  Simply put, I am a realist.  To execute anything flawlessly is virtually improbable.  Is it possible?  Sure, anything is possible.  Do I think it is probable? No, I don’t.

When a team has to deal with ‘breaking in’ rookies and has to ensure that the younger, less experienced players are grasping the various and assorted concepts on either side of the ball, it lends itself to less than perfect execution on any given play.  The Steelers are not immune to this nor will we be immune to this once the 2021 season commences.

On the offensive side of the ball, we have a new Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada, who may or may not want to completely revamp the offense.  I personally don’t think he will completely overhaul the offensive scheme, but I do think change, in some form or fashion, is forthcoming.  Obviously, with that change, a new type of offensive terminology may ensue, which could mean lapses in execution.

The other glaring issue on the offensive side of the ball is the question mark that is the offensive line.  For the health of Ben Roethlisberger, our franchise and future Hall of Fame QB, I truly hope the ‘O-line’ will become one of the strengths of the team; however, on paper, I don’t think, as of this moment, it will be a formidable group, but I do think they will do their best to keep “Big Ben’ upright.

The Steelers may not be able to overcome less than ideal execution on either side of the ball

I don’t know if you had an opportunity to look at the schedule, but it is not what I would label as a ‘cake walk’.  We open the regular season on the road against the Buffalo Bills and close out the season on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.  The Steelers will be tested early and will continue to be tested throughout the season, culminating in a game that could very well decide the AFC North Division.

We talked about the execution that must occur on the offensive side of the ball.  That execution is no less important on the defensive side of the ball.  While I don’t anticipate that our defensive coordinator, Keith Butler, will institute ‘wholesale’ changes to the scheme the Steelers have run for the past several years, change is inevitable.

Fortunately, whatever change occurs on the defensive side of the ball, I think the ‘lingo’ will remain the same, so I would expect better execution of the defensive game plan than I would of the offensive game plan, if, for no other reason, than the fact that Butler is returning as the ‘DC’.

Let’s not forget that last season, the Steelers were undefeated after 11 games.  I think we went 11 games without a loss because of near-flawless execution and probably a little bit of luck sprinkled in.  While I don’t think the Steelers will be undefeated after the first 11 games in 2021, I do think that near-flawless execution could garner 7 wins.

I think this season will not only test the ‘mettle’ of the rookies but will test the ‘mettle’ of the entire team, including the coaching staff.  Mike Tomlin, our Head Coach since 2007, may have to do the best coaching job of his career if the Steelers are to end up where we always want to end up, which is hoisting another Lombardi Trophy.

I believe that Coach Tomlin and his staff are capable of coaching our players; the question, in my opinion, is whether or not our players will be able to execute a game plan well enough for us to win early and win often.  If that execution is lacking, we may find ourselves ‘on the outside looking in’ come playoff time.