It’s the same old story
It蘑菇视频 the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend. While you might be tired of reading it, I鈥檓 tired of writing it.
But we plow on.
It蘑菇视频 not the coordinator. It蘑菇视频 not the coach. It蘑菇视频 not the general manager. It蘑菇视频 the young offensive line. And it蘑菇视频 a lack of playmakers.
It蘑菇视频 not an excuse. It蘑菇视频 just the reason no one should be fired.
Things actually improved in those areas Sunday night against the Chicago Bears.
While the insertion of Kelvin Beachum at right tackle came as a bit of a shock, and probably signified some type of large problem, it was pre-planned.
Beachum rotated with both starting tackles, and I liked it. While there are many problems and they are great with the offensive line, David DeCastro did improve and the tackles now know for sure that they are under the gun and they鈥檙e not going to be handed everything for a full year while Mike Adams in particular learns the game.
Not that Beachum showed anything more. But he蘑菇视频, as they say, on his Ps and Qs, and that will force the others to do likewise.
I also saw a real running back emerge Sunday night in Jonathan Dwyer. That had been a big problem, finding a professional running back.
Felix Jones? What a Dallas slap. Fumbler. Can鈥檛 block. If Ben Roethlisberger raves (lies) again next week about Felix the Cat蘑菇视频 great blitz blocking, then Ben deserves to have that guy in front of him with D.J. Williams coming free.
Dwyer did the job against the blitz. And he ran hard. And he stayed in the game.
It doesn鈥檛 tell me that Mike Tomlin蘑菇视频 confused because he cut his best back. It tells me Tomlin needed to do what he did to get Dwyer蘑菇视频 head out of his own rear end.
And that covers that.
I also saw improvement at tight end. Heath Miller was back, and will only get better and stronger. David Johnson caught a few passes. David Paulson has slipped down to rare appearances, and that蘑菇视频 where he belongs. And in those rare appearances I believe he蘑菇视频 going to prove better for the wear. He鈥檒l catch some big passes down the road.
I also saw improvement at wide receiver. Those little guys may be hard to find on the field 鈥� as Jay Cutler said last week 鈥� but it蘑菇视频 doable. You can win with Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders. We were reminded of that Sunday night.
My excuses have been the line and the lack of playmakers. Well, the playmakers are getting healthy. The line is getting the time it needs. The only coach whom I feel is on the hot seat is the line coach, Jack Bicknell, only because I know nothing about him. All I know is that by the end of his first year, the improvement must be more noticeable.
The defense didn鈥檛 get a turnover, but Vince Williams drilled the football loose on fourth down at the goal line. The ball carrier re-clasped it, and scored.
A couple of other opportunities took wrong bounces, but the numbers say the Steelers hit the QB five times and had two sacks. The Bears hit Roethlisberger four times and had three sacks, and the Bears had a 21-point lead at one time. And, well, the Bears were playing against the Steelers鈥� O-line.
The point is the Steelers hit the QB and had only one fewer tackle-for-loss. The turnovers will come.
Hey, I鈥檓 not going to guarantee that things will get better. I do believe the right coach and the right GM are in place, and I have no reason to want either coordinator gone.
By my count, the Steelers were completely whipped by the worst team of the three on their schedule, in the opener. But they put on a great show and should鈥檝e beaten the best team of the three in their most recent game.
That蘑菇视频 improvement. It蘑菇视频 not showing in the win column, but it is improvement.
And that蘑菇视频 all I can report today.
Their goal is that I report it again tomorrow.