It Was All Roethlisberger
As we watch the legacy of the Pittsburgh Steelers go down the drain, I’m forced to contemplate what happened. They’re on the road to the worst season in decades. I think that past General Manager Kevin Colbert tried too hard to replace Ben Roethlisberger. And, I think coach Mike Tomlin has been exposed for his shortcomings without Big Ben. For all those years, it wasn’t Colbert and Tomlin that resulted in the success of the franchise. It was all Roethlisberger. Period.
Backups
After Roethlisberger retired after last season, Colbert signed quarterback Mitch Trubisky and drafted quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the draft. As of now, they look no better than career backups. I’m sorry to all those who love Pickett. And, I’ll give Pickett the benefit of the doubt because he has one of the worst offensive coordinators of all time.
But, Pickett doesn’t have the swagger Roethlisberger had in his rookie season. Ben went 13-0 on the way to a franchise-best 15-1 record. He completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 98.1 passer rating. He had six game winning drives and five fourth quarter comebacks. Big Ben threw for 2,621 and 17 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
Granted Ben had running back Jerome Bettis and receivers Hines Ward, Plaxico Burress and Antwan Randle-El. And, he had Ken Whisenhunt as his offensive coordinator. That’s certainly a much better cast than Pickett has. But, Ben had the “it” factor. I simply haven’t seen that in Pickett yet. And, I’m losing confidence with each game. Just look at Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. I hate to say it, but they have the “it” factor.
Coaching (or lack thereof)
Mike Tomlin is going to have his first losing season. Thank God we can put that statistic to rest. And, his first losing season coincides with Ben’s retirement. Do you think that is a coincidence? I’ll answer for you. It’s not. Tomlin has rode on Ben’s coat tails for years. The truth is that he’s a below average coach who surrounds himself with below average assistants. And, the result without Ben is a below average team.
I have no confidence that Tomlin can turn the team around. And, I have no confidence that general manager Omar Khan can turn the team around. Tomlin has run the team into the ground. I can’t see any light for years. They’re decimated, and it’s going to take a lot of drafts to rebuild. I remember when the 49ers won their division over and over. Then, they went to the basement for years. That’s what I’m seeing.
I know exactly what owner Art Rooney II will say at the end of the season. He’ll say “We have a young team that will keep getting better under Tomlin.” And, that’s nothing but another deflection of Tomlin’s failures. Tomlin could rape and kill three children in the middle of the street and his job would be safe. It is getting so tiring.
Fans
Steelers fans are some of the best fans in the world. They love the team. But, there were an awful lot of empty seats at last week’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Somehow, I don’t think I’m the only disenchanted fan. It has been forever since we won a playoff game. Tomlin is 8-9 in the playoffs. That stinks to high heaven. But, he wouldn’t have that many playoff appearances without Roethlisberger.
The fans buy the tickets and watch the games on television. They buy the shirts and other merchandise. For the money they spend, they deserve a better product on the field. I have no idea how the Steelers can do that in the next 3-4 years. Art Rooney II has stubbornly allowed Tomlin to ruin the team. And, the fans are losing patience.
Conclusion
We got spoiled with Big Ben. And, a lot of people overlooked Tomlin’s flaws. It’s easy to coach with a Hall of Fame quarterback. It’s not so easy without a Hall of Fame quarterback. I remember when this season began, Tomlin said he was looking forward to the challenge of replacing Big Ben. Well, you failed your challenge. It was all Roethlisberger. Not Tomlin. Period.
