Another Super Bowl has come and gone and another Super Bowl without the Pittsburgh Steelers has been played too. It’s been what? 15 years now since the Black and Gold made the big game? Sadly, we seem to be further away from it than many fans realize. Despite our team not being in the game, there are things we can all learn and some are harder lessons than others.
You Have to Build Your Lines
I wouldn’t blame you if you thought I should have put the quarterback topic first but here’s why I didn’t. Did you see what happened to Patrick Mahomes last night behind his offensive line? I don’t care how good a QB is, if you can’t stay upright then you aren’t going to be successful. What happened to Mahomes seemed to have been coming as his line was often shaken up due to some injuries during the season. On the flip-side, the Philadelphia offensive line wasn’t perfect, but they largely kept Jalen Hurts clean.
Both teams have really good defensive lines which have given opposing offenses problems all season long. Despite Cam Heyward’s All-Pro season, the Steelers’ defensive line was just not good enough especially when the competition stepped up. To be fair, the Steelers have tried to re-build their offensive line and to a degree they have but it still isn’t where it needs to be. It’s likely this coming draft will see a focus on the defensive line but that will be dictated by free agency too.
Quarterbacks are a Must
Did either QB set the world on fire in New Orleans? Not necessarily but if you’re going to get postseason wins and get to the Super Bowl, you have to have elite quarterback play. When you look at Jalen Hurts’ overall play, I would describe it best as “efficient.” He had just 21 throws and completed 17 of them but the quality of those throws was pretty damn good.
The problem for the Steelers as we know all too well is that elite quarterbacks do not grow on trees. It took a full generation to replace Terry Bradshaw proving just how difficult it is. The idea that Mike Tomlin is going to win postseason games with great defense and mid-level QB play should be tossed out the window. That theory has been blown out of the water in recent seasons. With limited options, I don’t expect much to change in this regard for 2025.
You Have to Have Playmakers
If we’ve learned anything in recent years it’s that you can’t be successful by driving the field with “three yards and a cloud of dust.” The Steelers lack guys who can take the ball to the house. Look at both of those teams last night. The Eagles have multiple receivers, a running back who can go the distance at any time and a QB who could too.
The Chiefs aren’t quite as loaded with playmakers as Philly is but they aren’t far behind with Xavier Worthy and Hollywood Brown. The Steelers have George Pickens and nothing else. I think Jaylen Warren has one long TD run in his career, the other receivers aren’t a threat and neither are the tight ends. I love a good, methodical drive as much as anyone but both the Chiefs and the Eagles have the guys that can go the distance on any given play.
All of this is far easier said than done and there are other important factors as well like coaching, front office personnel and scouting. If you look back to this Super Bowl and the ones that have proceeded it, those three above factors have been huge in terms of getting there and more importantly, in winning them.
