Comments from a fan perspective.
The Steelers were my first "favorite" team because they were my dad's favorite team. I was fortunate as a child to visit Three Rivers for many games during the 1970's with my brother and dad. My room was decorated with Steelers stuff, everywhere. Just like a lot of you guys. I've been a committed fan ever since. Followed the team as close as possible while living all over this globe during my military years.
We've been blessed with several great eras of Steelers football. Yes, we've had some down years too along the way. But, for me, this feels different.
It started a couple years ago when Ben was lost early in the season and we had the Mason/Duck Show as a preview of our immediate future. It was ugly. It felt helpless. But there was hope, that Ben would make a triumphant return. And he did, sort of.
We all know that last year's 11-0 start was in spite of an offense that hovered between weak and pathetic. The defense carried that start and gave us what was likely a false sense of stability. Were they as good as their record? No. And that reality came crashing down hard. This season has looked like Week 18, 19 and 20 of last year.
Change Offensive Coordinator = same schemes, same short passing game, same no running game, same results.
Change Offensive Line Coach = same inability to run block, same inability to pass block, same results.
Change the Offensive Line = same inability to run block, same inability to pass block, same results.
Change Runningback = same inability to run the ball, same results.
Ben looks bad, and he looks old. Really old. I made the comment on Sunday that Ben looks like a senior citizen trying to navigate his way through the mosh pit at a Metallica concert. He really does. He can't move, his body is likely shot but more than that, he seems hesitant or confused on where to go with the ball. Now I can't see the downfield coverage on my TV screen because the views don't give us that so maybe everyone is covered. But if everyone is covered on nearly every play then that is another problem entirely with this offense and its schemes. If we are running 4-5 receivers into the pattern on 3rd down, then how can every receiver be so regularly covered so that a 20 year QB cannot find someone to throw it to?
I watch a lot of football. Too much football. Saturdays and Sundays, have for a long time. There are a lot of good coaches out there who are scheming up all kinds of passing offenses and running offenses and everything in between. The Steelers offense the past 2 years is as bad as any offense that I've seen, at any level. It's stale, it's repetitive, and it's predictable. I suggest the reason we can't run and we can't pass is far greater than the offensive line.
When I, as a fan and armchair coach, can look at the formation and regularly predict what play we are running based on pre-snap formation and personnel, then actual coaches can do it too. We are a bad football team right now with little hope of turning it around this season. With the injuries on defense cutting the legs out from under the dominant side of the ball, the future looks really dark for this season.
Didn't want to see Ben ride off into the sunset this way. Love him or hate him, and he's given us all reason for both, he has been our franchise QB for a long time. Personally, I think he hung around too long and it is showing. Probably should have exited with the elbow injury a couple years ago. It worked for 12 long ago and we didn't have to watch Bradshaw go through a similar rapid decline of skill and ability.
This is a tough watch.
