It’s less than 24 hours after the Pittsburgh Steelers saw their 2014 season come to a grinding halt and frankly, it sucks. I can handle losing but this one was tough to swallow.
Maybe it was because it was the Ravens or maybe it was because of the “how” as the Steelers were bullied in their own house. The problem now is that we have to focus on the business of football rather than the playing of football.
Get yourself prepared right now and consider this your warning. This is going to be a dramatic offseason in the Steel City. It will start with questions and end with answers and some we won’t like one bit.
Have we seen the last of Troy Polamalu? I believe we have and I believe it’s time. It’s hard admitting the great ones are no longer great but Polamalu is not what he used to be and he always said he wanted to walk away with his health and now is the time.
Brett Keisel gave us everything he had but I can’t see him coming back and Ike Taylor has been a most loyal Steeler but Father Time has not been good to him either. His retirement is pending.
James Harrison was probably the team’s best pass rusher at the age of 37 and although he isn’t 100% sold on leaving, this team has to move forward at the outside linebacker position someday.
We must assume at some point that Dick LeBeau will finally step aside. At 77 years young, I have called for him to retire for a couple of years now and there is no better time. He can leave with four of the men who helped make his 3-4 defense what it was.
Drama will come in the form of decisions on younger players like Cortez Allen and Mike Mitchell who both disappointed from the opening day kick. For Mitchell to suddenly reveal his torn groin injury last night was pathetic. He was looking for excuses and his was built in and ready for microphones and cameras.
Jason Worilds? He’s likely gone as he’ll want far more money than he’s worth and the Steelers know it. Jarvis Jones? Is “bust” finally a term we can use?
The real drama of this offseason will surround Ben Roethlisberger. He has a year left on his contract and despite not playing his best last night, had one of his finest seasons in his 11 year career.
Will the Steelers back up the Brinks truck or will they expect him to take the hometown discount? I’ve long been a Roethlisberger supporter simply because quarterbacks with his ability don’t grow on trees.
I’m extremely curious to see where things go with him. The Steelers will likely wait until summer to do a new deal but there are also those who believe Art Rooney II will never pay Roethlisberger what he’s worth and that’s a major concern.
Drama surrounds all NFL teams in their respective offseasons but this one will be more dramatic in many ways and I haven’t even mentioned free agency, the draft or Todd Haley.
Marc Uhlmann writes for and co-owns www.steelcityblitz.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteelDad and the website @SCBlitz. Check us out on Facebook at facebook.com/steelcityblitz and on Fancred.com. You can hear him weekly during the season on game day on the Trib-Live Radio Steelers Pre-Game
photo courtesy timesonline.com
3 comments
Troy may be gone but will see. Jones is not a bust he just doesn’t have that attitude of previous OLB’s. Look at silverback: Mean Dude with a Bad Attitude, Joey Porter was the same way and Lloyd before him was the same way. Jones needs to develop the Bad Attitude that makes opponents quake in the cleats. Worilds will be back on a cheap but fair deal you watch and see. LeBeau may leave but he may not. Besides if LeBeau leaves Keith Butler takes over and he runs the same D as LeBeau does so take that with a grain of salt. For Ben it’s simple PAY HIM THE FREAKING MONEY. As far as last night goes I put the blame squarely on you the fans. Yes you heard me right, you the fans I blame. Why it’s simple: You ran your mouths this whole week saying Baltimore is a better matchup than San Diego. In what World, Universe or Dimension does that even make sense. Had the Steelers played the Chargers the run game would have succeeded and you people know it. Look at the Chargers run Defense and tell me what would have happened if the Steelers played them. The draft will focus around CB’s and OLB’s but the backup RB spot may be settled by either Tate or Harris. Another WR would be nice as a insurance policy in case either Bryant or Wheaton get hurt. now I want all of you to focus on the 2015 Schedule and in case you people haven’t payed attention here is the list of opponents for 2015: Home-AFC North, Indy, Den, Oak, Ari and SF, Away-AFC North, KC, SD, NE, SEA, STL. So I would warn people that next season will be very very very very very very very difficult.
Interesting take Vittorio. I think the fans wanted Baltimore over SD because they may have feared Rivers more than Flacco. Regardless, I would have taken the Bolts too. Hindsight yes, but I would have preferred them for the reason you gave about the running game.
The one thing you are right about is that if Jarvis Jones and Jason Worlids are to be our main pass rushers we are in trouble. Jones is slow, has poor technique and not able to over power anybody, hence his inability to perform at the NFL level. Worlids is and average joe as pass rushing OLB that’s it nothing more or less.I see the Steelers back at 8-8 unless many changes are made. And all this talk about a younger and faster team was just smoke being blown up our a$$e$. The 2014 Steelers looked a whole lot like the 2013 Steelers with the exceptions of a few players improving.