Steelers look to overcome late start
Have you ever been late for work… and I mean REALLY late for work? The alarm clock doesn’t go off, you have no clean clothes and your car won’t start. Finally, you get to the office or job site and prepare yourself for a verbal assault and possible termination of employment. Then, it happens.
Everyone is standing in the parking lot because of a power outage, water line break, server going down, etc. and you breath a deep sigh of relief after having your worst morning in years at the best possible time. That scenario is a fairly apt representation of how the 2013 season has gone for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite their 4-6 record, the Steelers are tied for second place in the suddenly sub-par AFC North Division and trail the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins by just one game for the second wild-card spot. Pittsburgh will face another 4-6 playoff hopeful at Cleveland on Sunday in a game that not that long ago looked like another sure stomach-turning loss.
However, with relevancy creeping back to the ‘Burgh, head coach Mike Tomlin’s boys are suddenly looking like a team with a pulse.
So, just how plausible are the Steelers’ chances at getting into the postseason? Here are a few things to consider, but just remember … I have no great insight into the workings of an NFL franchise, no inside sources within the locker room and absolutely no playing experience to pull from. Take these thoughts as you will.
Pittsburgh hasn’t exactly faced a meat grinder of a schedule through 10 games, and it doesn’t appear to get much tougher down the stretch of the campaign. The Steelers play a combined three games against Cleveland and Baltimore, which both sport 4-6 records. They also get the mediocre Dolphins, who will likely bring their equally mediocre high priced wide receiver Mike Wallace back to Heinz Field in another very winnable looking contest.
Perhaps the only two major tests on the upcoming slate of games are a home game against the 7-4 division-leading Cincinnati Bengals and a road trip to Green Bay. While Aaron Rodgers is expected to be back in the Packers’ starting lineup before the Dec. 22 showdown, a collarbone injury can be a difficult one to heal up.
Despite looking like a shell of its former self, the Pittsburgh defense has been surprisingly good against the pass this year (eighth in the NFL). The Browns, Ravens and Dolphins have all, for the most part, been unable to run the football and will likely be forced to go to the air against the Black and Gold, which would be a major boost to the team’s chances at victory. To be fair … the Steelers’ 26th-ranked run defense could get those respective running games back on track.
Now, let’s take a look at the arguments against the six-time Super Bowl champions making an improbable run to the postseason, with “run” being the optimal word.
Along with not being able to stop opposing ground games, Pittsburgh seems absolutely dead set against getting its own rushing attack moving early in games. Even more perplexing is their unwillingness to take the training wheels off rookie starting running back Le’Veon Bell, who has yet to go over 22 carries in a game this year.
While I realize he wasn’t activated until Week 4 due to a foot injury, Bell was drafted in the second round for a reason: to be “The Guy” for a franchise that hasn’t had a true feature back since Willie Parker carried the ball 321 times for 1,316 yards in 2007. The team’s practice of taking Bell out of the game for two, three or even four entire drives at a time is also infuriating to both fans and fantasy football owners alike. I fall under both of those categories.