What has happened, the issues, and where they can go from here...

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a dominant franchise for as long as I can remember, and being a member of their fan club, this season has been absolutely painful to watch. Don’t get me wrong, after the first game, a win against a top-tier Buffalo Bills team, I was absolutely ecstatic. Beating a team with realistic championship aspirations off the rip really did put a warm feeling in my heart. But the following three games has moved that warm feeling from my heart to my mouth where it’s currently tasting pretty damn sour… A lot of things have become clear through the first four games and as much as I hate to say it, things need to change if there is any hope of salvaging this season. Lets get into it…

1. What has happened

After an offseason where no big splashes were made, and a few notable free agents departed the team (some to division rivals to say the least… looking at you Alejandro) the Steelers came into the season with playoff aspirations. The defense still looked elite and the offensive weapons around Ben seemed extremely well rounded, the two main questions being Ben and the offensive line. Through four weeks those questions have turned into answers, and in my unbiased opinion, as much as I hate to say it, the team needs to make some moves and fast…

2. The Issues

So far there’s been a few notable issues from the Steelers. The main one being the most important position there is; quarterback. I’ve been a huge Big Ben fan from the minute I started watching the Steelers through his days with Hines Ward and Heath Miller, and I really thought he was going to have a comeback season after his elbow surgery two years ago. While I wasn’t completely wrong (he lead the Steelers to a remarkable 11-0 start last season), he definitely looks like a shell of his former self. As they get older, players in all professional sports must rely more heavily on their brains versus their bodies, and Ben just has looked all that brainy. His decision making has lead to some atrocious throws and frankly I’ve lost some hope in the guy. The other issues are the fact that the makeshift O-Line we put together in the offseason has looked like exactly that, and of course the fact that not having TJ Watt out there completely changes our entire defense. Other than that everything has looked good aside from the immense lack of effort the entire team has displayed the past three games…. but other than that……. Hmmm.

3. Where They Can Go From Here

Coming into the season, I actually loved the Najee Harris pick, and through four games, I’m still loving it. The clear problem is the fact that Mason Rudolph, who’s main contribution to the team has been getting knocked out by his own helmet, is our main backup QB. It’s not like there aren’t guys out there, I love Gardner Minshew and he’s buried underneath Jalen Hurts, and there’s also serviceable guys like Mitch Trubisky (I know, I know) and Nick Foles. Kevin Colbert could’ve easily put a package together for one of these guys but just hasn’t found the will (still love his drafting though). So where do we go from here? The clear answer is finding Ben’s replacement and I honestly don’t think they’re on the roster right now. Rudolph is standing in a crate with how low his ceiling is and Dwayne Haskins, well Dwayne Haskins. Once they address that, the clear next step is bolstering the O-Line, and at that point I think they’re good to go (Maybe find a better replacement for what Mike Hilton gave us last year). The season is still young, but I think Ben’s legacy is going to get in the way of any real moves being made this year. I’m not a betting man, but my guess is a subpar 7-10… Comment if you’d like an analysis of your team!