Is the steel finally rusting?
Since 2004 and the drafting of ‘Big Ben’ Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been an almost immovable force in the AFC North and an almost ever present face in the AFC Playoffs, but they won’t be there this season.
A big call I know, but their 17-10 defeat to the Houston Texans on Sunday just served to highlight some of the deficiencies that will prove their downfall.
This year, the Steelers have given up 14 sacks in four games, tied for 3rd most in the NFL. And while Roethlisberger has always been a good scrambler, there is only so much scrambling a 29 year old QB should have to do.
And what happens when Ben gets seriously hurt? Because at this rate, behind his old, crumbling O-line, he almost certainly will. He left Houston after being sacked five times, with a protective boot on his left foot, and refused to speculate on his availability for week five’s matchup with an improving Titans outfit.
Without their QB, the Steelers would have to rely on Charlie Batch, who is obviously no real replacement. And their running game looks in no state to compensate for that either.
Rashard Mendenhall was supposed to have a breakout season, but instead his numbers have dropped off a cliff, and Isaac Redman, his backup, has contributed in fits and starts.
However, they do have the best pass defense in the league and are still ranked top five for points allowed, yards allowed and yards per play. Troy Polamalu and co. seem to be holding together an ageing unit of players that seem to be on their last legs as a team.
But hold on, what’s this? You can run on the Steelers? Yep, Pittsburgh are giving up the same amount of yards per running play as the much abused New England Patriots defense. That is something I NEVER expected to say.
This weekend alone, Arian Foster, still not at 100% with a lingering hamstring problem, stomped all over the many ‘terrible towels’ with 155 yards and a touchdown.
Something Pittsburgh needs to consider is that age really is beginning to matter in the NFL, youth, strength and speed is starting to overtake experience. The longevity of players looks like shortening and so is the window in which they play their best football.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, Big Ben is on his way out of that window, quicker with every hit.
If no solution is found to their QB protection problem, I can see at least four more losses on the schedule to make the Steelers 10-6. That will be one or two too many, because the Baltimore Ravens look the real deal in the AFC North this season, and the Jets, Titans and Raiders could have better records than that while finishing second in their respective divisions.
Head coach Mike Tomlin has been great for Pittsburgh, but this will be his greatest test, recreating the team that reached three Super bowls in the last six years, winning two of them.
I’m just not sure that he can.
