Steelers mantra ‘The standard is the standard’ has been pushed to the limit

The Steelers coaches enjoyed highs and endured lows during the 2022 season

I think it’s fair to say that the 2022 season was something akin to a rollercoaster ride not only for us fans but for the players and coaches as well.  We have talked almost ad nauseam about the trials and tribulations of Canada and the offense.

While the defense frankly kept us in many contests, there was no shortage of lows on that side of the ball either.  I think Teryl Austin did a much better job down the stretch than what we witnessed at the beginning of the season.

As Tomlin would say, it’s reasonable to assume that both the offense and the defense would be groups on the rise, but I often wonder why it took so long to make certain adjustments that seemed to me to be evident and simple.

I think the standard in that regard is two-fold.  First, it’s reasonable to assume that you get better with each performance.  Second, it’s reasonable to assume that you build upon each performance so that you don’t lapse back to having a poor performance.

From that perspective, I think the standard was tested time and again.  As I stated before, I’m proud of the fact that we have had a losing season under Tomlin.  I am not proud of the fact that we have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season.  We need to get back to the standard of playing in the postseason and competing for a Lombardi Trophy and that begins and ends with Tomlin.