Steelers veterans meet amid allegations of 'total panic mode'

It seems a tad dramatic on the surface. Post-Gazette reporter cited a source who says the Steelers "are in total panic mode" after starting the season 0-2, and prepare to face a good Chicago Bears team in Week 3.

Granted, this franchise does not see 0-2 often, but panic seems more attributable to a series of moves, when viewed retrospectively. They didn't trade their franchise running back for a draft pick they can't use for another eight months. They aren't cutting players left and right.

It's a relative term. For the Browns, who dealt Trent Richardson for whatever reason to Indianapolis for a 2014 first round pick, such actions seem the norm, not the exception. For the Steelers, trying to navigate through uncharted waters, it would seem, on the surface, they're incapable of falling into a hole early in the season. This team hasn't won an opener in three seasons now, and lost its first home opener in a decade in Week 1.

Not to suggest these are ok statistics, but they've been down before - the first quarter of the season, the second, third and fourth. Nothing matters as much as the next game, and as long as that mantra is preached, there's enough talent to turn things a bit more in the right direction.

Besides, a successful franchise should be bordering on panic mode anyway, in terms of operating with a sense of urgency, fixing mistakes and working on solutions.

Perhaps the veterans meeting held by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Ryan Clark will help create a more unified sense of urgency among the younger players of the team.

As long as they're preparing well, things will work themselves out. If not, it could be a long year.

But "total panic mode" seems like a stretch.

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• Browns trade Trent Richardson to Indianapolis Colts for first round pick
• Antonio Brown vs. Todd Haley: Drama now seated next to misery on Steelers' ship
• 5 Burning Questions on the Steelers in the Wake of the Bengals Loss
• Steelers vs. Bengals Review: Mike Adams, David Paulson struggled considerably
• Sharp decline in quarterback play over last nine games explains part of 2-7 record
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• Emmanuel Sanders, Troy Polamalu have the top Steelers grades after Week 2 loss