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The Pittsburgh Steelers fought down to the wire vs. the Ravens on Thanksgiving, but ultimately 2 critical Steeler errors meant the men in Black and Gold would go home from Baltimore empty handed. The Steelers may be 5-7 and on the fringes of the AFC Wild Card race, but Steelers Nation must first resolve these 5 Burning Questions before moving on to the Miami Dolphins....
1. By this point, everyone has seen the Tomlin Sideline Shuffle. KDKA's video appeared to be pretty damming. Yet, as Alan Robinson indicated:
Now you see why Mike Tomlin interviewed so well in 2007, got #Steelers job. He can sell himself like few others.
— Alan Robinson (@arobinson_Trib) December 3, 2013
Mike Tomlin acquitted himself pretty well, and yet another video has surfaced to support the Steelers coach. What do you think of Tomlin's Side Step? Was it intentional? What do you think of the NFL's fine and "Maybe a draft pick" punishment?
2. For the past three weeks we've seen the Lions, Browns and Ravens aggressively target Ike Taylor and enjoy a lot of statistical success. Is Taylor losing a step? And if so, is there any hope the Steelers can contain Mike Wallace?
3. The word is that Le'Veon Bell is passing his concussion protocols well. Yet, that can and has changed. If Bell can't go should the Steelers enter the Dolphins game with only Felix Jones and Jonathan Dwyer? If not what move should they make?
4. Offensive line and injuries have been frequently subjects of the "5 Burnings" this season, despite of a strong desire to avoid repeats/recycling. Yet some themes simply recurre... Here goes it: The 2013 Pittsburgh Steelers have lost two starting centers, played all active offensive lineman in a number of games, and even acquired new tackles in season only to lose their services before either even played a game.
Do the Steelers simply suffer from Kafkaesque luck with offensive line, or could management do something else to prepare better?
5. Lost in the sound and further of the close loss and the Tomlin Sideline Shuffle, was this piece by Dejan Kovacevic, who reported this quote from Ben Roethlisberger, explaining why he called a timeout at the goal line:
"I went over there to get us out of the play he was going to call," Roethlisberger said. "I knew what play was coming because we had talked on the sideline, so I just wanted to get over there and voice my opinion. I thought we had a better play down there than the one that we were going to do."
The Roethlisberger-Haley relationship consumed a lot of ink in 2012, in 2013 not so much. Nonetheless, does this quote from Kovacevic tell us that these two men still can get on the same page?
There you go folks.
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More from Behind the Steel Curtain:
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- Tomlin Two-Step: Steelers head coach fined $100,000
- Wallace: 'I was underused' last season
- Dolphins vs. Steelers: Protecting the edge key for Pittsburgh
- Young Money plans get-together before Week 14 game
- Potential movement on Steelers' draft pick has to do with tie-breaking scenarios
- Steelers injury report: Beachum, DeCastro miss Wednesday practice
- The reaction to Bell's hit illustrates a new awareness regarding the seriousness of head trauma
- NFL risks its credibility by waiting on further punishment
- Mike Tomlin's salary drops two percent, gains far less than other fined coaches
- Tomlin fined, draft picks held over Steelers collective heads