The Pittsburgh Steelers had one more ugly playoff loss on Saturday towards the Baltimore Ravens, and whereas the Steelers have gotten off to gradual begins within the playoffs (and, actually, all through this season) earlier than, their sport plan was notably poor towards the Ravens. Pittsburgh was shut out within the first half, and on Get Up! this morning, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky stated that first half was as dangerous as he’s ever seen from the Steelers.
“We are able to say that Mike Tomlin is a very good coach. That was not a well-prepared soccer crew for that sport. That tape within the first half is disgusting,” he stated. “It’s as dangerous as I’ve seen a Steelers tape. The offensive line goes the incorrect approach on a constant foundation, one man right here, one man there. They’re very hardly ever on the identical web page, the quarterback is restricted, the defensive communication is poor. All it’s important to do is run movement towards them and so they’ll get out of gaps.
“So does that fall on teaching? Completely it does. Do I feel that a number of the modifications must be made with how Mike Tomlin sees the large image of the employees and says, ‘Okay, how can we regulate issues that possibly we get somewhat detail-oriented and detail-centric’ and yeah, they should handle the quarterback place as a result of he enters each sport with one hand tied behind his again when it comes central to that. I don’t assume that transferring on from Mike Tomlin is the reply. However I do assume after watching this weekend, they should have a really lengthy, onerous speak about how do they make modifications to enhance when it issues most.”
As Orlovsky stated, there have been far too many errors, like linemen pulling the incorrect approach on run performs, for the Steelers to have had any success early towards Baltimore. And with the Steelers more likely to maintain Tomlin, there must be teaching modifications or personnel modifications elsewhere. The Steelers’ protection wilted down the stretch, their passing assault obtained significantly worse because the season went on (though Russell Wilson did salvage the sport towards the Ravens will his deep-ball success), and the Steelers simply didn’t have a number of battle. They misplaced 5 in a row to finish the season, and defensively Patrick Queen stated they took their foot off the pedal.
That’s merely inexcusable, and bringing in actual management that forestalls that from taking place whether or not on the participant or the teaching facet is vital. The 2 teaching modifications that appear believable might be eliminating offensive line coach Pat Meyer and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, and if these strikes occur, they’d probably come inside the subsequent few days. However the Steelers gave the impression to be unprepared and simply performed poorly down the stretch, so there must be some form of philosophical change inside the ranks of the folks taking part in and the folks making the selections and training.
It’s setting as much as be one other energetic offseason for the Steelers, however it wants to begin with discovering solutions as to what went incorrect late and altering and bettering the teaching wherever Tomlin sees match. His observe document of hiring coordinators hasn’t been nice, but when the Steelers do wind up letting go of Austin, there are some intriguing names, together with former Steelers CB Deshea Townsend, who might be candidates.
We’ll see what winds up taking place, but when the Steelers keep the course with their total teaching employees with how the season fell aside, it’ll be a complete organizational failure.
