Steelers bye week priorities show simply how troubled issues are
The Steelers bye week priorities are indicative that issues are as dangerous as they’ve been in a very long time in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 2-6 and useless final within the AFC North. Proper now, they’re on tempo for his or her worst season when it comes to whole wins within the Mike Tomlin period. It’s been an eventful season to this point together with a benching of their Week 1 starter, Mitchell Trubisky, and switch to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Clearly, issues should not nice, and with the staff on a bye, you may count on it to be an excellent time to recalibrate and get some issues so as in follow. As a substitute, it appears like there’s been extra coping with personalities than the sport plan. That’s not nice information.
This staff is eight video games in and nonetheless not on the identical web page. They’re spending the bye week not sharpening issues up and placing some polish on the present recreation plan, however as a substitute airing issues out.
Is that this grade college?
2013 was a tough begin as nicely, however bye week feedback had been a lot totally different for Steelers
In 2013, the Steelers began 0-4 earlier than occurring an early Week 5 bye. The staff would shut the season after the bye going 8-4, together with 6-2 of their closing eight video games of the 12 months. That season, the tone might have been the same mixture of utilizing the bye week to handle personalities and, particularly early within the season, get on the identical web page, however it was far more of a schematic week.
Right here’s what Ben Roethlisberger had to say in Week 5 during the bye that year in regards to the staff:
“The folks we have now in right here…that they’ve been right here, they’re good gamers and we belief in one another. Give it every part we acquired. Get some relaxation arising and get our our bodies wholesome for a 12-game streatch and let’s give all of it we’ve acquired.”
Far cry from the place issues really feel like they’re now, huh?
And sure, Huge Ben was established at that time, however it wasn’t a staff with out youth. Le’Veon Bell was a rookie on the time to color an image of the place issues had been.
This 12 months, they’ve seven dashing or receiving gamers on tempo to play 10 or extra video games which are 25 or youthful. In 2013, they’d six such gamers.
The massive distinction is clearly at quarterback. Pickett has been thrown into the fireplace and is figuring issues out on the fly. However protecting the locker room intact goes far past him when it comes to who’s accountable, and it appears as if that ball has been dropped.
