Okay, okay… so there is one game left. That said, the Steelers couldn’t be blamed if they kept mailing it in the way they have since the second Ravens game. All they need now is for the U.S. Postal Service to be the official sponsor of the final game with the Browns.
But what exactly did happen to the 2012 Pittsburgh Steelers?
One thing that was obvious right off the bat was the realization that games the Steelers typically won in years past were games that ended in the loss column this season. This was especially true in the second Bengals game and the Cowboys game, where poor decisions led to game ending turnovers. Those turnovers, in particular, lead to one really nagging question: What was the deal with Ben Roethlisberger?
Until he was injured in the Chiefs game, Ben was on track to have one of his best years ever. Since his return, Ben has shown nothing… absolutely nothing. And the record reflected that, as the Steelers finished 0-3 with two of those losses happening at Heinz Field. A pretty consistent litany of overthrown passes and an offense that was successful only when it seemed it was up to it was the calling card of the Steelers offense in December.
And this leads to yet another nagging question about Ben: with three years left on his deal, how should the Steelers approach him going forward? The past two seasons have been, by Steeler standards, fairly unacceptable. It is evident that the Steeler offense requires a strong leader at QB who can make plays. With particular emphasis on the most recent three games, is it fair to ask whether Ben can be both the strong leader and the play maker the Steelers demand out of their starting QB?
If he can’t, the front office has a fairly tough decision on their hands. Do they use a pick early in the draft on an heir apparent? Or, do they continue to roll the dice on the prospect of their twice Super Bowl winning QB returning to form to lead the team back to the top of the Super Bowl podium, knowing he has limited time left on his current contract to do so?
If they do choose the latter course of action, then how serious can the front office be taken when the need to have a capable backup for their star investment has never been greater. The reality is, Ben is now, officially, on the “wrong side of 30” from here forward. And with his style of play, it is fair to suggest that the Steelers might just be writing checks that Ben Roethlisberger’s body can’t cash. And with Charlie Batch staring a fairly obvious retirement decision in the face, Kevin Colbert and the rest of the Steelers brain trust have a whole host of questions about their most prominent position on the offense.
The tea leaves are saying that the Steelers have no real choice but to either draft a QB with one of the first three picks in the 2013 Draft or play hard for one of the available free agent veterans who will be available this off-season. Either way, the front office must settle on at least one, or possibly, both alternatives before the start of next season. With Ben’s recent injury history, one would think it wise for the Steelers to have a game ready backup who will not look like a deer in headlights the next time Ben goes down.
And make no mistake, Ben will go down again. His style of play all but suggests that it will happen.
What about RB? Presently, the Steelers do not possess a player on their roster who can capably shoulder a reasonable load of the offense to take pressure off the passing game. And the Todd Haley offense, assuming it will ever be given a reasonable chance to succeed, needs to have the run and the pass games working in concert. The current RBs on the roster can be charitably described as players who would be excellent second RBs, getting 10 to 15 touches a game to work most effectively.
Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Rashard Mendenhall all have that 10 to 15 run capability, that is, when they don’t run like they’re about to be slapped in the face by an angry mother-in-law. None of these players runs particularly well between the tackles. And the Steelers run game doesn’t much exist outside the tackles. At least, it didn’t much exist in 2012.
Adding a feature RB to the roster before the start of the 2013 season appears to be a good idea currently. Going into the next campaign expecting Jonathan Dwyer to all of a sudden become a feature back may be asking a bit too much based on what he has shown since becoming the starter.
The current problems on offense have taken a toll on the Steelers in nearly every realm of their game. They have caused the defense to be put on the spot time and again, often times after performing above and beyond the call of duty. And the otherwise inadequate special teams play has been called on time and again when the offense has failed to convert a crucial third down or perform less than optimally in the red zone. A missed field goal by Shawn Suisham today looms large as the possible explanation for loss #8.
The defense has needs, true enough. The middle portion of the defense, from front to back, could stand for some new blood. However, the Steelers defense has performed well for a good portion of the season despite showing some age. Again, getting some new play makers on defense will not be a mistaken choice.
In a positive light, the large question mark at cornerback to start 2012 is considerably smaller with the emergence of Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen and Josh Victorian. All three still need some seasoning. But the future at that position is less uncertain now than it was at the beginning of the season.
The biggest question facing the defense would be the future of Dick LeBeau. At times, the defense has looked tired, rusty and predictable. The tired and rusty part can be most attributed to needing new players to step up. The predictable part is something the defensive coaches need to explain, and the Dick LeBeau defense we have grown accustomed to might be showing signs that the rest of the league is on to him and that the defensive strategy needs more than just a tweak here and there.
Mostly, the Steelers need to not miss when it comes to players selected to shore up established positions or to replace entrenched stars. One case in point: when Cameron Heyward does get a chance to play, he is typically at least equal to the task and he often exceeds expectations. The 2013 Steelers must find a way to get him in on far more downs than he was involved with in 2012.
Lots more can be said of the 2012 Steelers. Much of it possibly involved newer and more creative uses of off-color language over one or a dozen beers during the game. But this season’s Steelers basically confirmed most of our fears concerning the team coming in.
Many of us expected a whole lot more of this team this season, and we probably should have seen more good. But is it realistic to ask whether the Steelers of 2012 possibly over reached and just got lucky in the games they did win?
What we do know is that the Steelers front office has plenty of work cut out for them in the months ahead and hopefully are already assembling the strategy to return the team back to the playoff mix in 2013.