The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to break a two-game losing streak that has turned a winning season into a desperate one. Both losses came at home to teams with a combined 4-20 record.
After looking like a definite playoff team just two weeks ago, the Steelers (7-6) will be fighting for their postseason lives over the season’s final four weeks. The struggles have led folks to believe that head coach Mike Tomlin could be on the hot seat, which he isn’t, and it has others questioning is the “Steelers Tradition” still a thing?
Ben Roethlisberger Says Steelers Losing Tradition
That’s what future Hall of Famer and legendary former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is starting to believe. The six-time Pro Bowl selection seemed a bit perturbed this week when talking about his former team, which is unrecognizable to the two-time Super Bowl winner.
Roethlisberger’s reservations have some real validity to them, and, unless things change, the team will be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start.
Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger Podcast
During a recent episode of his podcast, “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger,” he questioned some things about the product formerly known as the Steelers.
“Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done. Maybe it needs to be formed a new kind of way. I don’t know,” he proposed.
“You’re not seeing, in my opinion, the toughness on offense, and I say toughness in the sense of Steeler toughness,” Roethlisberger said. “Who’s grabbing someone by the face mask and being like, ‘Nuh-uh, that’s not what we do’? Is that happening?”
“Yes, you have guys on defense doing it, but you need guys on both sides of the ball doing it, because when you’re in offensive meetings, when you’re in offensive huddles … you need someone to stand up in that room on offense and be like, ‘Hey, this isn’t what it means to wear the black and gold.’”
Big Ben’s calling out the team’s offense, and with good reason, because they’ve been bad all season. Part of it is on the players for not executing, but head coach Mike Tomlin has to take the brunt of the blame for not making a change to his offensive coordinator until a few weeks ago. This is a team that went 58 games without having 400 total yards in a game until the first game after Tomlin relieved Matt Canada of his duties as the coordinator.
Not much Tomlin can do about the talent level of his quarterback room and its truly among the league’s five worst. they don’t have anything close to Roethlisberger.
With second-year signal caller Kenny Pickett looking like he’s regressed, and backup Mitch Trubisky looking like a lemon, it’s been rough.
Ben’s expectations are high, but he must realize that this isn’t a normal Steelers team. Tomlin has to scrape and scrap for every win.
And while Pittsburgh managed to go a very respectable 34-23-1 in those 58 games, it’s totally unacceptable for a team with the Steelers’ talent to go that long without 400 yards in a league that caters to the offense.
Unfortunately, Traditions Change
Roethlisberger must realize that this team doesn’t have the likes of Hall of Famers Troy Polamalu and ‘The Bus’ Jerome Bettis. Or the enforcers like James Harrison or Hines Ward, who led by example on and off the field. Or players will the talent level of Antonio Brown and Santonio Holmes.
The old adage is a tiger doesn’t change its stripes, so don’t expect this team to. They are what they are, and that doesn’t include the Steelers tradition or way.
