Death, taxes, and an ugly Steelers win. These are some of the few certainties in life. All jokes aside, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now sitting at 2-0 following their road win against the Denver Broncos. The 13-6 victory was just as ugly as you would imagine, with both defenses keeping the opposing offense in check.
It’s more of the same for head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, even with the offensive coordinator and quarterback changes. Run the ball, don’t turn it over, get a few big plays, and let the defense get to work. It’s been enough to stay in the playoff hunt in the past, but things were supposed to be different this year.
Why bring in so many new important faces to the offense if they are still being asked to play conservatively? Unfortunately, many Steelers fans know exactly why.
Mike Tomlin wishes it was 2008 again
It feels even longer than the 16 years it’s been, but 2008 was a great time to be a Steelers fan. The team was coming off a successful transition from the beloved Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin, winning the division in 2007 before falling to a strong Jaguars team in the Wild Card game. They rolled through the regular season in 2008 on the backs of a dominant defense led by DPOY James Harrison.
The playoffs were no different with the defense forcing eight turnovers in three games on their way to a Super Bowl victory over the Cardinals. They would make it back to the big game again in 2010, but things have never been better under Tomlin than they were in 2008. I believe he is trying to recreate that magic in 2024, but the NFL has changed significantly.
Defense still matters, and the first two weeks of the season have seen defenses dominate in several contests. The problem is that great teams (and more specifically great QBs) are nearly impossible to keep in check with the way the game has evolved. No matter how great the Steelers defense is, keeping the likes of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and many more from putting up points is never a given.
Playing smart, ball-control offense works against the Falcons and Broncos, but at some point, the offense needs to be able to reliably score over 20 points. They haven’t done that in several years and aren’t off to a great start this season either. Justin Fields has the physical ability to create big plays, but Tomlin has to give him the freedom to make mistakes along the way. If not, this season will end up looking just like the rest have this decade.
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