The Steelers season is already spiraling out of control, so what can be done to save the season?
The Steelers are coming off two consecutive home losses and two consecutive conference losses and it seems to me that the season is already spiraling out of control. I know what you’re thinking: The 2021 season is only three weeks old and we’re already acting like the ‘sky is falling’.
Well, I would say it is, and here’s why: It is very uncharacteristic of the Steelers to lose at home and it is very uncharacteristic to lose consecutive games at home. To take it a step further, it is really uncharacteristic to play poorly, but that is exactly what the Steelers have done over the past two games.
For as well as we played against the Bills, we played equally poorly against both the Raiders and the Bengals. What’s upsetting to me is that we could have and should have beaten the Raiders. Against the Bengals, we were even right before halftime, but after we gave up the TD that put them ahead by seven points, I think the game was pretty much over as it appeared that our confidence was shaken.
In any event, there is still time to ‘right the ship’, but we cannot drag it out, meaning the Steelers need to be decisive and need to be swift in implementing whatever changes are necessary. Make no mistake, changes are necessary if we want to avoid the first losing season under Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
The Steelers need to be introspective if we wish to save the 2021 season
According to ESPN, the Steelers offense is ranked twenty-fifth in yards per game through the first three games of the season. While that ranking is not last in the league, it’s still not very good and it doesn’t lend itself to success. We can’t expect that ranking to change by itself.
The first thing I believe we need to do and do immediately is this: Bring in a ‘consultant’ to work with Matt Canada. Look, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the offense is not ‘clicking’, is not ‘gelling’, is not doing whatever expression you want to use. The offense is not good and has not progressed at all, from my view.
The reason I am not suggesting the Steelers outright part ways with Canada is that I know it would be a herculean effort to find a new offensive coordinator who is either willing to run a version of Canada’s scheme or is willing to completely change the scheme in a short period of time. Neither of those two options seems likely to occur.
The second thing we do is get better players at certain positions. I realize the only options the Steelers have at this point in the season is to trade for a player or players, which we did already and that has yet to yield any results, to sign players from the practice squad of other teams, which doesn’t seem likely since we have our own practice squad players, or to sign ‘street free agents in the hopes they will be better than our starters.
Since everything begins upfront on the offensive side of the ball, I believe we need to take a look at who we have at each position on the ‘O-line’ and make an honest assessment about performance. I realize free agents are free agents for a reason, but you can’ tell me that there is not at least one veteran, free-agent lineman out there who would be better than at least one of our starters.
The season is still young but if the Steelers want to get back on the winning track, things must change and must change quickly.