Steelers Biggest Problem Is Between the Ears
by cgolden on Jan 6, 2010 10:08 AM EST
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PrintFor the second time in five seasons the Pittsburgh Steelers followed up a Super Bowl title by failing to make the playoffs the following season. Now the Steelers, like 20 other NFL teams, are left wondering what went wrong and what must be done to rectify the problem. For this team that's particularly baffling considering that they played so well against some of this year's elite, but struggled mightily with so many basement dwellers. Add in the lack of intelligent football in critical situations and you've got to wonder if the biggest problem with the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers was between their ears.
Whether it was complacency, a lack of effort or simply poor game plans, the Steelers could not or would not bring their best effort to the table week in and week out. After playing one of the most difficult schedules in league history in 2008, the 2009 schedule seemed very manageable and looking back, it should have been. The Steelers played seven games against playoff teams, although four of the games were against teams from their own division, and nine games against teams who ended the regular season at .500 or worse. The rather easy schedule though proved to be their downfall as they went 4-3 against playoff teams, with all three losses coming against division mates, but somehow they lost three of five games against teams with ten or more losses on the season. The great Dale Lolley said it best in early December:
I've heard from a number of players over the past few weeks that this team hasn't paid attention to the details or hasn't been on the same page. To me, that's inexcusable. If you're a professional football player, you'd better play every game like it's the last one you'll ever see. Not paying attention to the details is another way of saying that they took somebody lightly. That explains how the Steelers have beaten San Diego, Minnesota and Denver but lost to Kansas City, Oakland and Cleveland.
Oddly enough that statement sums up the 2009 season for this team very well. The problem isn't talent or age or even injuries, although each of these three certainly contributed to the 9-7 record. The real problem was something unquantifiable. It's something we can't see, hear or even measure, but when it's not present, as was the case for large parts of the season, everyone can tell. Hopefully watching the playoffs from home will change that in 2010, but for now all we can do is sit back and see who loses their jobs as a result of this disappointing season. Maybe the changes will be in personnel or in the coaching staff or some changes in philosophies but however drastic the changes may be, everyone in Steelers Nation knows that missing the playoffs with this much talent on the roster is unacceptable.
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With You & Lolley
Great to see you here on the “Black & Gold” side Gold! Enjoyed the post and agree with you and Lolley. These guys simply weren’t ready to play on too many Sunday’s. No way they should have lost at Cleveland that way when their season was on the line.
It almost seemed they would come out like gangbusters and then lose interest. You just sat there and hoped Ben would pull it together in the 4th quarter…which didn’t happen this year often enough.
When You Run The Ball Good Things Happen
Great post!
But I do think its quantifiable, it’s all Tomlin and Arians fault. What those guys say to those players during weeks, during training camp, in the locker rooms made them become arrogant and out of focus, basically the coaches let players get into that mental state of error..
Of course Tomlin is going nowhere, so BuhBye Arians..
I also think many players in Pittsburgh have no interest playing like it was their last game just because they already have 2 rings and playing in Pittsburgh is not exactly the most fun. I think there are many players there dreaming of a new team next year, specially those who love the spotlights and to party. We need a fresh roster who really wants a new ring..
Good post
But I wonder if there isn’t a simpler answer.
Luck. Dumb luck. Combined with great parity in this league.
I think people have written out dozens of good analysis. I am not discounting any of them, including this one by cGolden. However take a look at the teams that were 11-5 or better in 2008 and their records this year.
Team 2008 2009
Ten 13-3 8-8
Pit 12-4 9-7
Car 12-4 8-8
Nyg 12-4 8-8
Ind 12-4 14-2
Mia 11-5 7-9
Ne 11-5 10-6
Bal 11-5 9-7
Atl 11-5 9-7
Every single team that finished with an 11-5 record or better, with the exception of Indy, had a worse record this year, than last year. That means that for the most part we saw a trend of teams heading back towards the middle.
While from our perspective the collapse that happened in Pittsburgh was completely and totally baffling, it is really par for the course for an NFL team.
What’s more, this team would be viewed much like many of the other good Steeler teams of this decade if we had one or two more plays go our way this season. Think about it. If any of the following happened than the Steelers would likely be in the playoffs with a 10-6 or 11-5 record.
1. Jeff Reed makes a field goal in chicago
2. Limas Sweed catches the ball in Cincy
3. Holmes doesn’t slip his route in Cincy
4. Clark doesn’t drop a fourth quarter interception in the second Cincy game
5. Miller doesn’t have a pass go off his hands for an Int at KC
6. Taylor doesn’t drop and int in overtime at KC
7. Burnett doesn’t drop a late int in Oak
8. Ben doesn’t slip on a 4th and 1
I am sure we could come up with two dozen more plays that could have swung one way or the other for the Steelers. My point is that this team was really only a play or two from being in the play-offs with a Troy back at Safety. They had some bad breaks at bad moments. They played some lousy fourth quarter football and they played some great fourth quarter football.
But as luck would have it they came up just a little bit short, one time too many this season.
by SteelerBuddha on Jan 6, 2010 11:22 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Very interesting stats and thoughts...
One could certainly argue that not enough of the players were ‘hungry’ enough of the time, and you certainly got a study in contrasts in the second Browns game. (Not that I think that was the whole story, even there. Frankly, we probably should have played Dixon again, but hindsight is 20/20.) But I do think that the whole ‘hungry’ thing is too simplistic. People never stay ‘hungry’ for long – some can do it longer than others (some to an almost to superhuman degree -see Hines Ward) and some just don’t have the temperament for that. The question is, can they play a good, well-fought game without that feeling of desperation? And I also agree that, despite the amazing gifts of the FO, when you are picking well down the draft most years, it is going to bite you in the butt to one degree or another, sooner or later. As to the list of plays left on the field, agreed that we could come up with even more plays. People aren’t perfect, and we can’t expect it of them. At least half of the players on that list have played consistently well for us, and it is just a shame that those particular times when they came up short were potentially game-changing. Of course, there were undoubtedly plays like that on the other teams. Since the NFL wants all teams to have a chance at being competitive (which is definitely better for the game as a whole, although disappointing for individual teams’ fans) then it is hardly surprising that there is always going to be movement towards the mean.
"The standard of expectation does not change." - Mike Tomlin
by Rebecca Rollett on Jan 6, 2010 12:25 PM EST up reply actions
completely agree that several games came down to one or two plays and too often the Steelers failed to make those plays
I’d also add though that the Steelers vastly underachieved if any game against the Chiefs or Raiders comes down to a play or two.
Bobby April just opted out of contract of ST with the Bills
O sales tickets,...and let D rest a little, and D Win Championships.
I've been trying to work out your position
on running the ball, and I’m having trouble. Could you let me know whether you think we should run the ball more or less often? Thanks! : )
"The standard of expectation does not change." - Mike Tomlin
by Rebecca Rollett on Jan 6, 2010 6:59 PM EST up reply actions
So simple only the inexperienced can do it
Great points made about how the game is played between the ears. Here is what most of Steeler Nation realized well before the B&G were eliminated from post season play, the DEFENSE was the problem. Where these defenders over matched, not where the scheme has placed them, or can even the most inexperienced QB/WR tandems defeat the simplicity of the DB design.
I agree mostly with SteelerBuddha, but Our K and ST c(r)oach just doesn´t execute or just doesn´t know
how to put their pieces together this year, and I tell this because I was also a kicker and QB, and always the kicker as the QB controls the tempo of the play, you can kick over one of the frontline of linemens just to avoid a good return and avoid a flag, even if somebody is not looking at the ball (and more in this technoid era) you can find somebody who is (normally) not as concentrated on the ball, “shoting Him”, to have a bounce back toward Us (, or in the play, this gonno hurt but remember those “perfect” dfins-Steelers ´72, We just crunched them, but We in that situation as today, lacked totally of focus, more on that later). I (We all) had seen so many teams kicking into a T at the other side of the KR and trying to run or sending the ball toward t sidelines risking a penalty but not a TD, but Our ST Coach is in t Moon, eating cheese.
BA also has no rythm and that is a major loss in BB QB personality.
We all know What (TF) is that BB that have mostly LB in their toes, and finding holes all over the DL, and in the backdoor, all that had resulted in BIG PLAYS, (Remember Jiry Jones face of (WTF, Why in t f….. World does this guy come from?, and worst We couldn´t had drafted Him, b/c of trades), after BB first bunch of completions and TD, that was HUGE, and most of Us long time fans remember with a smile that, as “Mean” Joe said about Franco Harris: “We have One” but right now:) when and where the point and timing ending up that put those 15-1 season as rookie for BB? (of course We can´t ask for that every season, but with Our today´s team´s talent, common´, at least a shot at The Thropy), When any LB had to change his position in BB´s first year ending up totally roasting those defences, that should be the point to start looking for a absolutelly new QB COACH/OC,(sorry for BA and all His personal issues but this could be for Our health as a team, and maybe also for Him and their issues).
The issue of (LACK OF) CONCENTRATION (AND FOCUS) AND “CHAMPIONITIS” can be shown b/c all those balls that Our team had trying to intercept (ME AS THE HERO) instead of batting totally out of reach of anybody (ME AS PART OF A TEAM), and of course all those aforementioned for so many others that really hurts b/c WE LOST A VERY GOOD SHOT TO HOIST THE THOPY.
Sorry, for the catarsic issue.
O sales tickets,...and let D rest a little, and D Win Championships.
It's easy to overthink and overanalyze things....
Nearly all football players are at least one part asshole. They’ve been overpaid and idolized and those who can read do read their press clippings. Those who went to the U have somebody else read them out loud. As Tomlin said yesterday, they had problems between the ears during the year they won the Trophy.
The Steelers biggest problems were injuries, Father Time, and what Bob Prince used to call the Hidden Vigorish.
1) Injuries: Losing Polamalu and Smith exposed the defense for what it was – too damn slow up the middle without them. They didn’t have the horses and couldn’t get off the field when the game was on the line.
2) Father Time: Guys on the defense like Farrior and Townshend and several others seem to have lost a step. It showed.
3) Hidden Vigorish: The ball bounced in our favor in ’08. But those things tend to even out, and things bounced the other way in ’09.
As for the Cleveland loss, Pittsburgh’s equatorial passing offense was helpless against the cold and Lake Erie crosswinds. You can’t throw a sideline pass in a gale. And that was a problem between the ears — the ears of Bruce Arians.
I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.
- Homer J. Simpson
To The Dreaded SteelerNation
Hail steelers!!! Well guys, I can understand you black/gold bleeding out whatevers out there to justify why we had the season end in a bad note. Guys I am not a stat person at all. I just feel that we should bleed black/gold because our love for our Dominating steelers, and for the steelerNation (us) who drowns out every stadium regardless where.
Yes, I feeel my brothers/sisters pain. Like the saying goes; Pain is ur most valuable possesion cause it tells u that ur still living. With that said, doors will close and doors will open n believe me the 31 teams will be ducking next year. Go steelers. congrats to bama.
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