Home Steelers Offseason What Might Have Been… Right Steelers’ Fans?

What Might Have Been… Right Steelers’ Fans?

by Steeldad

Congratulations to the Denver Broncos, winners of Super Bowl 50, who rode their defense to a huge win over a Carolina team that I certainly never saw being held to just 10 points.

In most years where the Steelers aren’t part of the NFL’s “Big Game,” I usually have no problem turning off the action when it’s over and retiring to a good night’s rest. This year was different though and I’m quite groggy this morning and it has little to do with too much guacamole and Corona. I struggled to fall asleep last night because I couldn’t help wonder what might have been.

Following the AFC Divisional Playoff loss to Denver, I wrote about all of the “what-ifs” for the Steelers. Unfortunately those thoughts have only been reinforced after what I saw last night. That’s not to take away from what Denver did or to assume the Steelers would have been able to handle the Panthers in the same way but I can’t let go of the ‘might have been.’

Perhaps we were teased back in week 15 when the Steelers’ offense made the Broncos’ defense look like Swiss Cheese in the second half of their win over Denver. Pittsburgh put up 31 points in that game while shutting the Broncos’ offense out in the second half. The Steelers did of course get another crack at the Broncos in the Playoffs but it was in Denver and the Steelers were without their top two running backs, had a less than 100% Ben Roethlisberger and their all-pro wide receiver Antonio Brown.

Still, only a late fumble by third-string running back Fitzgerald Toussaint kept the Steelers from advancing. Granted, next up would have been a trip to the house of horrors in New England but oh what might have been.

Already the Steelers have been placed as one of the top two favorites to win the Super Bowl next season. The reasons are simple; people believe a completely healthy offense will be unstoppable and they believe the defense is on the right track having improved over the course of the 2015 season. I can’t say I disagree but I’m not ready to go there just yet.

There’s still much to be done between now and August to make the Steelers better and that right there should give us a glimmer of hope in and of itself. If the Steelers were really that close this year, then just maybe we won’t be wondering about “what might have been” next year and instead we’ll be the ones celebrating another Lombardi Trophy.

 

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