Pittsburgh Steelers: What Went Wrong

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As the ruins of the 2009 season are still smoldering with three games remaining, the Pittsburgh Steelers must take a long look in the mirror.  Depending on how the last trio of games plays out, they could be facing one of the longest and toughest offseason in recent memory.

After 2006, their last non-playoff year, there was a feel-good vibe from a strong finish (they won 6 of 8 after starting the season 2-6) and a coaching change, only the third since 1969.  They promptly returned to the playoffs and won a Super Bowl the following season.

After 2003, Pittsburgh’s worst season this decade, there was a sense of optimism when they were able to draft a stud quarterback named Ben Roethlisberger.  They promptly returned to the playoffs and won a Super Bowl the following season.

But 2009 could be a different story.  There are major questions at several positions, and the team has suddenly become old, especially on defense.  If 2009 ends on a sour note, the franchise could face its biggest test since the dark days of the late-90s, when three consecutive years ended without trips to the postseason.

But we can talk about the offseason when it comes.  For now, let’s revisit the recent dark days, specifically the last 35 on the calendar, when a 6-2 team that was considered a prime Super Bowl contender slowly, painfully, and agonizingly morphed into a 6-7 afterthought.

It has been quite a precipitous fall.  It has been quite a complete collapse.

So who is to blame?  In a word, everyone.

The struggles of the defense and special teams have been well-documented.  Special teams coach Bob Ligashevsky may be looking for work in a few weeks.  And while it’s almost taboo to even think of criticizing Dick LeBeau, he must be held somewhat accountable for the fourth quarter meltdowns, miscommunications, and everything else that has gone wrong for a unit that was, until very recently, a feared and respected defense.

But what about the offense?  Bruce Arians is under a ton of heat and may also be canned at season’s end, but how much blame does he deserve?

Roethlisberger has thrived under this system.  The offense is in the top 10 statistically in rushing, passing, and total offense.  Mendenhall has emerged as a legitimate feature back, a possible future Pro Bowler.  Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes are having solid seasons, as is Heath Miller.  Mike Wallace pretty much exceeded all expectations.

You could make a case that the offense has produced enough to win in every game except three:  at home against Minnesota (259 total yards, although they won thanks to two touchdowns by the defense), at home against Cincy (only 12 points on four field goals and 226 total yards) and, of course, that horrifying performance at Cleveland last week (six points on two field goals and a season-low 216 total yards, against a Browns defense ranked 31^st in the NFL and missing four starters).

In reality, though, the offense just isn’t good enough.  You can throw out all the stats you want, but the bottom line is this:  the offense is way too predictable (I think even my grandma can tell when they are running that stretch play to the right side) and the play calling has become terrible (shotgun on third-and-one is fine—if you’re a college team running the spread).

This group has too much talent to be averaging only 21.3 points per game.  As an offensive unit, they lack creativity, struggle in the red zone, and have no killer instinct.  I don’t believe Arians deserves to stick around.

Give the reins to Ken Anderson—he’s the real reason Roethlisberger has blossomed over the last three seasons, in my opinion—and see what he can do.  Let him tinker the playbook a little bit to fit the strengths of his players.  Let him put the fullback into the offense again.  Anderson would at least run the ball on third-and-one.

As far as laying the blame to individual players, it’s tough because so many guys have come up short at different spots.  I really shouldn’t single out specific players.

Ok, maybe a couple.

Tyrone Carter has been mostly disappointing since filling in for Troy Polamalu.  William Gay played well at the end of ’08 and at the beginning of ’09, but has regressed steadily ever since. 

Jeff Reed set the tone early by missing two field goals in Chicago, essentially blowing the game.  Limas Sweed followed suit a week later in Cincinnati by dropping a sure touchdown pass, essentially blowing the game.

Deshea Townsend lost a step in the offseason, then lost another shortly after training camp.  Ike Taylor hasn’t lived up to his lofty reputation and has possibly the worst hands of anyone in the NFL not named Sweed.

James Farrior cost the team on four game-deciding plays:  twice he didn’t get the defensive call to the secondary (on the final plays against Oakland and Kansas City) and twice he failed to stay with his guy on fourth down (Brian Leonard in the game at Cincinnati, and Ray Rice in the game at Baltimore).

Even Health Miller, old reliable, has made some key drops, including one off his face that was intercepted.

Honestly, we could probably do this with every single player on the team.  So let’s move on to the big guy.

Mike Tomlin has come under increasing fire lately.  The chic thing to do now is declare him the next Jon Gruden, which has suddenly become the most insulting thing ever.

First of all, anyone calling for Tomlin to be replaced doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously for two reasons.  One, he has the most secure job in the NFL and will likely get a contract extension after this season.  Two, he won the Super Bowl last year in only his second season.  He could go 0-16 this year and still keep his job.

That being said, Tomlin probably deserves all the criticism he’s getting.  He failed to make adjustments when his offense couldn’t score in the red zone and his defense couldn’t protect fourth quarter leads.  He failed to make line-up changes after he said he would.  And his “unleash hell” comment just seems silly in retrospect, a Coors Light commercial waiting to happen.

But could this losing streak somehow be a good thing?  Bill Cowher made the play-offs in each of his first six seasons and never faced a true crisis until 1998, when the team went on an ugly five-game losing streak and finished 7-9. 

But remember, during those first six seasons, he also lost a winnable Super Bowl and two AFC Championship games at Three Rivers Stadium.  It may be a blessing that Tomlin is facing this type of adversity now, so that it will help him in the long run

If nothing else, it will be interesting to see how Tomlin handles these final games, which could be three of the biggest games so far in his young coaching career.  If he loses them all, the media could be unleashing hell in December.  And that wouldn’t be much fun for anyone.

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