Steelers News: History shows the Steelers aren’t dead after a blowout loss in Week 1

The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving into Week 2 of the NFL regular season, and as the team prepares for the Seattle Seahawks, we continue to provide you with features, commentary and opinions to tide you over until the season starts!

Today in the black-and-gold links article we take a look at how despite having their doors blown off in Week 1 by the New England Patriots, that doesn’t necessarily mean the season is over after one game.

Let’s get to the news:

• If you are like many Steelers fans, you are still angry and disappointed after the team’s dismal efforts in Week 1. Losing 33-3 is a gut punch, but it doesn’t mean the season is over, history tell us that.

History shows Week 1 losses don’t doom Steelers’ entire season

By: Chris Adamski, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Many Steelers said Sunday’s loss — ugly as it was, and demoralizing as it could have been considering the opponent — was just one-16th of a regular season that is barely underway.

The Steelers have won just three of their past nine season openers. They rebounded to make the playoffs during two of the previous four they’ve lost, including 2015, when they similarly were beaten soundly by a Patriots team that raised a Super Bowl banner while they watched.

“It’s one game. No one is panicking here yet,” veteran guard David DeCastro said. “Obviously, not what you’re hoping for and not what you expected. But just get back on the horse and get back to work Wednesday,”

Week 1, in general, hasn’t necessarily been an accurate harbinger for the remainder of the season for the Steelers. Among all the season openers they won or lost — last season was a 21-21 tie at the Cleveland Browns — since 1980, the outcome correlated with the Steelers making the playoffs in just 17 of 38 seasons.

The Steelers were 21-17 in opening games between 1980-2017. During the 21 seasons they started 1-0 in that span, they qualified for the postseason 11 times. Of the 17 seasons that began with a defeat, the Steelers rebounded for a playoff berth 11 times.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• People want someone to blame for the Steelers’ loss on Sunday night. Ben Roethlisberger says point the finger at him.

Big Ben takes blame for Steelers’ woes at Pats

By: Jeremy Fowler, ESPN

So much for that new-look offense without Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.

Those players were missed on a miserable night of football for the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose 33-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday left their quarterback placing blame squarely on himself.

”I wasn’t good enough,” said Ben Roethlisberger, who went 27-of-47 for 276 yards and one interception. “I wasn’t giving guys balls where they needed to catch them. Put them in front, behind, things like that. So, just -- I wasn’t good enough.”

The Steelers finished the game with 308 yards, but many of those came in garbage time. At halftime, Pittsburgh had limped to four first downs, one third-down conversion and 87 yards. James Conner and the rushing attack managed 32 yards and and failed to convert several short-yardage situations.

From five-wide sets to zone running plays, nothing the Steelers tried worked, with Roethlisberger missing on three of his four deep-ball attempts.

The Steelers most recently scored three points in a season opener in 2001, losing 21-3 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The message was sent.

To read the full article, click HERE (Free)

• You might as well call Tom Brady a surgeon, because he dissected the Steelers’ defense Sunday.

Classroom: Brady’s defensive dissection

By: Chris Carter, DKPittsburghSports

Death, taxes and Tom Brady beating the Steelers at Gillette Stadium. Few things in life are guaranteed, but these are the exceptions.

Brady did lose to the Steelers last year and barely escaped in 2017, but those were games at Heinz Field. The only time the Steelers have come within a possession of Brady was when they scored garbage points against the Patriots at Gillette in the 2015 season opener when they lost 27-21.

But there’s a recipe to the destruction the six-time Super Bowl champion quarterback imposes on the Steelers each time. It seems simple with the ease that he has beaten the Steelers over the years, but it takes several steps for Brady to be as consistent as he’s been.

To read the full article, click HERE ($$)

• Mike Tomlin’s Weekly Press Conference

• Joshua Dobbs bids farewell to the Steelers, and their fan base

• Social Media Madness