Jan 15, 2021 5 min read

And in a snap, the Steelers’ season was over.

That’s not an exaggeration. The Steelers lost their playoff game against the Browns last Sunday when Maurkice Pouncey sailed the game’s first snap five feet over the head of Ben Roethlisberger and it was recovered in the end zone for a Cleveland touchdown.

Everything after that was window dressing. The result of that snap let the Browns know they weren’t going to be the team making all the mistakes – as was usually the case when they played in Pittsburgh.

And so the Steelers will undergo an offseason of change.

We saw the start of that this week with the firings of offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett and defensive backs coach Tom Bradley.

The change won’t stop there.

The Steelers are projected to be several million over next season’s salary cap, which is nothing new. But this year, they have less wiggle room than usual because the cap is expected to actually go down.

The floor was set over the summer at $175 million – down from $198 million this season. How much higher it will be from that $175-million floor will go a long way toward determining how competitive the Steelers will be in 2021.

If it comes in at $190 million, they’ll be OK with just a few simple moves. If it’s less than that, things get tricky.

• When Mike Tomlin is interviewing potential offensive coordinators, he has to do so with the idea that even if Ben Roethlisberger returns, the new coordinator also will be in charge of helping determine Roethlisberger’s successor.

This might be one of the most important coaching hires in team history that doesn’t involve the addition of a new head coach.

I’d lean toward a more established NFL offensive play caller, such as Jay Gruden – assuming he is let go in Jacksonville – Jim Caldwell or Darrell Bevell. Especially considering the remaining offensive staff all have been with the Steelers two years or less.

• Beyond that, finding the next offensive line coach has to be the priority. With Alejandro Villanueva and Matt Feiler heading for free agency and Pouncey likely headed toward retirement, the Steelers offensive line is going to be largely inexperienced.

A veteran offensive line coach is needed, as well.

Sarrett was fine when it was just a matter of carrying on the teachings of Mike Munchak. He had a veteran offensive line that knew what to do.

It just got old – quick. It happens in all walks of life. But it happened right before our eyes with what was once a very good offensive line.

• Should Roethlisberger return? Sure. He gives the Steelers the best chance to compete in 2021 and even if he isn’t brought back, the $19 million the team would see in cap savings isn’t enough to sign a replacement.

The Steelers also are picking 24th in the draft, which, unless you get lucky, isn’t high enough to acquire a sure-fire future starter.

This week’s picks

Rams (plus 6½) against Packers: The Rams will want to ugly this one up against the Packers, and they’re certainly capable of doing that with their defense and running game, much as they did last week against the Seahawks. Watching Packers wide receiver Davante Adams against cornerback Jalen Ramsey is worth the price of admission itself. The Packers should win, but the Rams will keep it close. Take the Rams to cover in a 23-17 loss

Ravens (plus 2½) over Bills: Weather is expected to be snowy and cold. Lamar Jackson said earlier this week he’s never played in the snow. But it’s also expected to be windy. And the Bills are much more reliant on their passing game than the Ravens. We should see 25 combined runs by the quarterbacks in this game, which could make it look more like a high school game than an NFL playoff matchup. If that’s the case, take the team with the better running game. Take the Ravens to win, 27-24

Chiefs (minus 10) over Browns: The Chiefs might start a little slowly in this game as they get their game legs under them after resting Patrick Mahomes and others in Week 17. But eventually, the rout will be on. The Browns were unable to stop the Steelers in the second half of last week’s game. That won’t get any better in this one. And Cleveland’s offense won’t be capable of keeping up. Take the Chiefs, 38-24

Saints (minus 3) over Buccaneers: The Saints won both meetings this season, winning 34-23 in Week 1 and 38-3 in Week 9. Are the Bucs playing better since then? Sure. But every time they’ve faced a top-10 defense this season, they’ve struggled. In particular, Tom Brady has struggled. That this spread is just 3 points is a tip of the cap to Brady. But the Saints should win. Take the Saints, 31-26

Last Week: 1-2 ATS, Overall: 44-38-6