The Steelers Are in Trouble

Author: Matthew Iberger

After a 27-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Pittsburgh Steelers are reeling. Usually, an 11-3 team would not be so worried, but the Steelers are getting cold at the worst possible time. Three straight losses after an 11-0 start where the offense has averaged 10 points per game and four straight games without scoring 20 points or more. The defense which would get them out of these slumps is facing mounting injuries especially at linebacker and edge rusher.

The worst part about this loss to the Bengals is it widens the door for the Cleveland

Browns to take the division lead. Sitting at 10-4, Cleveland had very little chance of catching Steelers before their three straight losses. Now only one game back if Cleveland wins next week against the New York Jets and the Steelers fall to the Indianapolis Colts, the two teams will meet in a Week 17 matchup that decides who wins the AFC North. With how the teams are looking right now I am inclined to believe that this is what will happen. This is a team that looks like it will finish 11-5 after their 11-0 start and be staring at a first-round exit after competing for the first seed for the first eleven weeks of the season.

Ben Roethlisberger for all the success he has had, has lost it. Watching games this season you could tell he had trouble throwing deep especially over the middle, but his lost arm strength was masked by his quick throws over the middle and a strong defense to bail the offense out. As previously mentioned, the defense has regressed due to injury and by putting more pressure on the offense, Big Ben’s faults become clearer. Lack of a strong offensive line and running back play has not helped out the aging QB, nor has the consistent drops from the skill position players during these last three games (they would have won the Washington game if the drops were less often). You can even put more blame on OC Randy Fincher who does not seem to be changing up his game plan to help his struggling team. However, this most recent loss can be put squarely on the shoulders of quarterback play, not receiver drops. Ben was completely missing open receivers, misreading coverages, and just flat out looking bad. A nice Diontae Johnson throw and Benny Snell looking good for part of the game made the score much closer, but by the end of the half Ben only was 7 for 16 for 19 yards and an interception. An aging arm is not something you can fix in two games. Less reliance on Ben’s arm is what will get this team back to winning but with the defense injured and a weak running game, it is what the Steelers have had to do.

As a Steelers fan myself, I still am rooting for my team to turn it around and I believe that they still have a (albeit small) chance at a Super Bowl run. We have to prepare for the strong possibility that Pittsburgh will be one of the first teams out in the playoffs. Currently Pittsburgh sits at 28 in the draft and my way too early hope is that we spend that pick on one of the top running backs to put less pressure on Ben’s arm or an offensive lineman and stick with James Conner and Benny Snell as a 1-2 punch. For the second round, I have been enamored with taking either Alabama QB Mac Jones or Florida QB Kyle Trask to find a successor to Ben. Pittsburgh might have to trade up from their draft spot at 60 to around 45 in hopes of nailing one of them before QB-needy teams like Chicago, New England or San Francisco. If neither of them is available, maybe picking up Sam Darnold or even Gardner Minshew in a cheap trade would work out. No matter what happens it has been an exciting season that I do not think any Steelers fan would have changed. Sure, it has been disappointing late but most rational fans knew we were not going to keep outpacing the Chiefs who sat one game behind the Steelers at 10-1. The super bowl window still remains open in Pittsburgh and hopefully they can secure that ring this year but if not, this team is not going anywhere anytime soon.

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