Steelers fans’ doom and gloom is baffling

By Dale Lolley
For the Observer-Reporter
newsroom@observer-reporter.com
The conference championship games in the NFL hadn’t even ended when the chatter began on social media that the Steelers were “nowhere close” to being in the same stratosphere as the Chiefs or Eagles, who will represent the AFC and NFC, respectively, in the Super Bowl next weekend.
While it’s true the Steelers lost to both of those teams during the regular season – in an 11-day span with a game in Baltimore against the Ravens tucked in between for good measure – there is a little bit of revisionist history involved in that assessment.
Yes, the Steelers lost at Philadelphia, 27-13, Dec. 15. But they were down 20-13 with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter when Najee Harris couldn’t handle a pitch from Russell Wilson, admitting later that he took his eyes off the ball, and the Eagles recovered at their own 26.
Given that Harris’ fumble came on first-and-10 and what kind of season Chris Boswell had, it’s safe to assume that if not for the fumble, the Steelers would have at least cut Philadelphia’s lead to 20-16, if not tied the game.
What happens after that is anyone’s guess, but it doesn’t sound like a game in which the Steelers were never in the game as some suggest.
Less than two weeks later, the Steelers hosted the Chiefs on Christmas Day, coming off a physical matchup in Baltimore just four days before.
They had opportunities in that game, as well. Wilson was intercepted in the end zone in the first half. George Pickens was whistled to have had his momentum stopped on another right before the half, just as he broke free and ran down the sideline from midfield for what might have been a touchdown. The Steelers trailed, 13-7 at the half, but just as easily could have been ahead, 14-13.
What happens after, if that’s the case, we’ll never know. All we do know is that in the end, the Steelers lost both of games against two very good teams – the best in their respective conferences.
But the doom and gloom surrounding a Steelers team that went 10-7 this season is baffling.
Yes, the Steelers lost all three games in that 11-day span, albeit to three very good teams, two of them on the road. And they were beaten by the Ravens in the playoffs in a game that wasn’t all that competitive.
That’s an issue that needs to be addressed.
This is not a team, however, that is devoid of talent.
In fact, it just might be a team that is following a path similar to the one it is trying to emulate.
The Eagles don’t have a star at quarterback such as Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo’s Josh Allen or Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. But they do have perhaps the league’s best overall roster.
In 2023, the Eagles started the season 10-1. They then lost five of their final six games to finish 11-6 and were bounced out of the playoffs at Tampa Bay, 32-9.
This year, they’re back in the Super Bowl.
The point is, the Eagles didn’t stop trying and blow things up – as some Steelers fans are suggesting. They just kept building their roster, taking two defensive backs in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft to shore up the secondary and adding key free agents such as linebacker Zack Baun.
The Steelers added a lot of talent following the 2023 season. They brought in several new coaches, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith among them.
Just because the 2024 season didn’t end the way they wanted – or by advancing any further than the team did in 2023, doesn’t mean they should tear it down and start over.
They should keep building the roster, learn from their failures in 2024 and try to correct them in 2025.
• The Jim Garry coaching tree just continues to grow.
With Brian Schottenheimer’s hiring as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week, another branch of the Garry coaching tree can now be added.
While Garry didn’t coach the younger Schottenheimer directly at Fort Cherry, he did coach his father, Marty, along with former Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.
That’s a pretty good start for a small school in McDonald.
• There’s an old saying in sports that it’s the Jimmys and Joes not the Xs and Os that wins games.
And it appears that one of the winningest coaches in NFL history believes that to be true, as well.
Speaking on the “Let’s Go” podcast, Bill Belichick said the NFL should rename the Lombardi Trophy after Tom Brady because he “won seven of them.”
Belichick was the coach for six of Brady’s wins, but he also won one in Tampa Bay.
“Players win games,” Belichick said. “You can’t win without good players. I don’t care who the coach is, it’s impossible … I didn’t make any tackles. I didn’t make any kicks.”
Coaches can help put good players over the top, but if you don’t have enough good players, it really doesn’t matter.
Every NFL team, regardless of how good or bad, has good players. It’s what makes the league so competitive. But great players, particularly at quarterback, put you over the top – unless you have an extremely talented roster.
Next weekend’s Super Bowl will put that on display. Mahomes is the most talented quarterback in the league. The Eagles have the best overall roster.
Dale Lolley hosts The Drive on Steelers Nation Radio and writes a Sunday column for the Observer-Reporter.