Pittsburgh Needs to Level Out
Dec 7, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) runs the ball against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. New England won 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
In wrestling– from NCAA down to middle school and younger– the top 8 place winners earn a medal. To be top 8 is significant, it earns you accolades such as “State Place Winner” in high school and “All-American” in College. There are several ways to work your way through a bracket to place but to make it to a semi-finals match ensures that you are going to place at least in the top six at your weight. In theory, it says that you are top-4, but you still have to wrestle even if you lose in the semis.
A phenomenon that takes place, however, is something called the semi-slide. It is when a wrestler loses their semi-final match, then loses their consolation semis match, and ultimately loses their final match, leaving them in 6th place. There are a plethora of reasons for the semi-slide to occur, but the most prominent one is the inability to overcome the disappointment of losing that semi-final match. From there, the losses compound, and the wrestler loses three in a row. It’s a devastating feeling, to say the least.
The Steelers are at the precipice of their version of the slide, having lost two in a row to two teams with two wins. This is on the heels of the acknowledgment by offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner that Mike Tomlin was the reason the Steelers hadn’t lost two in a row this season. Chalk that up to bad timing? I think not.
The steadfast approach from inside the locker room is that the Steelers took both teams lightly. Yes, Tomlin has contradicted that in his press conferences, but many players have brought it up in a variety of manners. So comments like Faulkner’s, or that of Minkah Fitzpatrick suggesting players expect to win simply because the color of their jersey suggests a more concerning narrative in Pittsburgh.
The pattern of 2 wins after every loss has been steady until Thursday. In addition, the Steelers have won more games as the underdogs than they have won as the favorite. It’s a budding issue at an inopportune time.
This pattern suggests the riding of waves that cannot take place in the NFL. The Steelers have gotten up for big games within the division or on prime time and made the most of them. They knocked off the Browns and the Raiders only to be completely outclassed by the Texans. With a newfound edge, they beat the Ravens, went to LA, and took out the Rams, only to have an uninspired performance against Jacksonville. And just when there was real hope after the first 400-yard game in Cincinnati, the Steelers were stopped by two of the worst teams in football.
The Steelers are emotional, something Tomlin says he wants from his players. Yet, they have let the highs get entirely too high, and now it seems as if they have let the lows get far too low. The desperation is apparent in the soundbites from players, the body language on the field, and the play calls late in the game. (I don’t think I need to describe the 4th-and-2 blunder from Thursday night.)
Hell, things are so out of whack in Pittsburgh that Antonio Brown seems to be more composed about the situation than those in the building. Tomlin acknowledged questions about the issues coming from George Pickens and the lack of leadership on the offensive side of the ball, but his vague response isn’t comforting.
The fans in Acrisure are beginning to sound as if they reside in the Eastern part of the state. The boo’s flying in from all directions only halfway through the first quarter. Certainly, that’s no way to prod on a struggling offense. I’m not suggesting that fans don’t have a right to be upset, they do. Practically, however, it’s a forfeiture of home-field advantage, which should be cherished with an offense as dismal as this.
How the Steelers finish the season starts with how they react to the past week and a half. Somehow, they are still very much in playoff contention– at least on paper. There is a path to success, but it is narrow. The Steelers, their coaches, and their fans would be wise to try to keep their pace and not get too caught up in the ups and downs.
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