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5 Burning Questions on the Pittsburgh Steelers

Is Steelers Nation attributing enough responsibility to Pittsburgh's offense in the "Second Half Switch Off?" Another home opener, another game with no turnovers, should we worry? How would Sunday have unfolded differently had Josh Gordon been playing for Cleveland? Answer these and other Burning Questions on the Steelers.

By Hombre de Acero
Cortez Allen almost had an interception vs. Cleveland, in a game filled with "almosts."
Cortez Allen almost had an interception vs. Cleveland, in a game filled with "almosts."
Karl Walter

Chuck Noll Day has come and gone, but not before the Pittsburgh Steelers put all of the Black-and-Gold faithful through a cardiac stress test vs. our historic rival, the Cleveland Browns.

This week brings us to Baltimore and a faceoff against the Purple Browns, aka the Ravens, currently under the cloud of the Ray Rice controversy. But before moving on, Steelers Nation first must grapple with these 5 Burning Questions.

1. The Steelers pulled a mild surprise when they reached an 11th hour agreement with starting cornerback Cortez Allen. Veteran freelance journalist Dejan Kovacevic said the move "leaves me apprehensive at best, holding my nose at worst." In contrast BTSC editor Neal Coolong made no bones about declaring "The kid can flat-out play, and they signed him for cheap in comparison to most veteran corners in the league."

Who is right?

2. Most of the attention on Cleveland's second-half surge has focused on the defense's hapless response to the Brown's no-huddle. However, of equal import in the Steelers "Second Half Switch off" was a Pittsburgh offense which almost completely stalled after putting up 27 points in the first half.

To your eyes, what happened on the offensive side of the ball, and has this been given sufficient attention?

3. Speaking of the Steelers' lapse on defense.... During the Browns' surge, John Steigerwald made this rhetorical observation: 

How do you respond?

4. Not to dump on Dick LeBeau's defense, but.... While the Steelers did get their first opening-day win in three years, they've now gone 3 out of 4 opening days without securing a turnover. Ok. NFL Week 1 stats are about as reliable as early-April batting averages, but what do you say given the team's seemingly unending turnover drought?

5. For years, Steelers Nation has been harshly critical of Roger Goodell's Kangaroo Court-like administration of justice in the NFL. Now, the Ray Rice controversy has cast a nationwide focus on Goodell's "uneven hand" (to put it charitably).

Do you believe Goodell's lie claim about not having seen the video tape? What do you think should happen? What do you think will happen?

There you go folks - have at it!

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