The nightmare that was the final month of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers had ended after another abrupt exit from the postseason. But instead of feeling shame, embarrassment, and disappointment, the locker room felt a sense of, well... relief.
Following the 28-14 Wild Card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported what the 'feel' was like in the locker room after the game, and her findings should have Steelers fans fuming.
"Three weeks ago, I walked into the same locker room after the Steelers lost in a blowout to the Ravens in Week 16," Pryor said on Sports Center the morning after the game. "That locker room was silent. It was tense. It felt like a funeral. Last night though, it felt more like the last day of school after everyone bombed a final exam. There was some sense of relief that it was over."
Pryor continued, "I walked and I saw players dapping each other up. The sense that, 'Hey, this season is done.'"
Really? That was the how players were responding to an embarrassing playoff loss?
Steelers need an overhaul (that starts at the top)
Prepare yourself. The old man in me is about to come out. There was a time when leadership inside the locker room would have ensured that you could hear a pin drop after a game like this. Players weren't relieved that the season was over; they were furious that a season with a playoff appearance ended without a ring.
The culprits need more than just a slap on the wrist.
These losing ways have gone on for too long. At this point, nobody cares about the team keeping their head above water with a non-losing season if they squander every opportunity in the playoffs. The Steelers have officially continued their eight-year drought without a postseason win. Going back even further, Mike Tomlin's team has just four playoff wins over the past 14 seasons.
When is ownership going to step up and make the necessary changes? If your locker room is filled with players who are relieved they no longer have to lose any more football games this year, they can collect a paycheck somewhere else. Tomlin's winning culture has evaporated completely, and there are no signs of getting it back.
The Steelers have an aging roster with their best players in their 30s. Meanwhile, their best offensive weapon is a diva, they hired a run-first offensive coordinator who couldn't run the ball, and the league's highest-paid defense was once again a disgrace in the playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need an overhaul, and you can start right at the top of the list with head coach Mike Tomlin. Sometimes change is necessary—even with a great coach when things get stale. We are so far beyond that point it's not funny.