What we learned from Steelers season-saving win vs. the Titans

The Steelers continue to win despite looking like a team that is still trying to find an identity

Look, I realize that a win is a win and I'll take the win, but I would really like, for once, to see us win in convincing fashion, meaning we don't have to score a TD in the fourth quarter to go ahead by four points and we don't have to rely on an INT essentially in the end zone to secure victory.

That style of play may be exciting for some, but not for me. I grew up with the 'ground and pound' style of offense and the smothering style of defense we played in the 1970s. I would say that formula served us well, don't you think?

I realize the game has evolved since we won four Super Bowls in six years, but there are some constants that I think Tomlin, Canada, and Teryl Austin need to embrace. On offense, we need to be able to run the ball effectively and efficiently. We did that against the Titans, but that has been sporadic.

On defense, we have to be able to cover without drawing penalties, particularly if we are in man coverage, which we seem to be in the majority of the time. If we are drawing penalties, we need to re-evaluate what we're calling and which players are on the field in certain situations.

I think the phrase 'identity' may be a bit overused in sports, but I would ask this question: what is our 'identity' after eight games of the 2023 season? I have no idea. If we truly want to be a 'team on the rise, to use a Tomlin term, we can't win a game thinking, 'Wow, we got lucky there' or 'It's a good thing that call went our way' or 'How the heck did we just win this game?'.

That goes back to winning a game in convincing fashion, which we are not doing. We are winning, which, again, is great, but how long can the 2023 style of play bring us wins? I guess we'll find out next week.