Destined for mediocrity?

I'm hoping for a playoff season, but there's this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this guy may be right.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9574762/can-steelers-avoid-mediocrity

What do you think? Is there reason for optimism and why? Or will we muddle through another mediocre season? The fan in me thinks we can go 16-0 every season, but then reality sets in at some point and I realize that we too often get out-coached and out-played as we did several games last year. This is a pivotal year for Tomlin in my mind. I really want to like the guy and to feel like the team's confidence is well placed in him. But he allowed the team to come out flat way too often last year and underperform at the most inopportune times. Remember the San Diego game? We'd just come off a huge win the week before against the Rats and we laid one of the biggest goose eggs that we've laid in recent memory. Our flat and lacidaisical play seemed to carry over into the first pre-season game.

The writer makes a good point in the article about how all great teams go through a period of mediocrity after a few successful seasons. Could we be entering ours?

 

I can always count on you to make me feel better, BF.

I think the success of the season comes down to this, the offensive line and the running game. If we can control the line of scrimmage we win 10+. However, if the OL is as pathetic as it's been in years past, we struggle to get to .500.

 

I'm a homer for sure but I think there is no way we don't go 11-5 or better. We havent really sucked in decades and we still have a franchise QB the number one defense and future hall of famers playing. We are the Steelers we are in the running every year so sleep easy.

 

The season can't start soon enough. Someone should book mark this article. A lot of crow will be served especially among some of the commenters.

 

So from what I have gathered so far in this thread Tommy Boy is optimistic, SteelCop is optimistic, and BobbyBiz is optimistic. I probably would say that as of right now I'm somewhere in the middle or maybe cautiously optimistic. The thing that's really bothering me is our lack of depth and I think injuries could really be a killer if that bug stings again. Another thing that bothers me is the fact that after watching the Seahawks and Chiefs play their special teams are GREAT and ours...??? Uhhhh not so much. We also have some unproven commodities on D but we also have DL and that makes me feel really good. With all that said the main thing that makes me REALLY optimistic is that I haven't forgotten how good Ben done in Haley's system last year before he got hurt. Ben is still Ben and he's still a competitive gamer. Haley can obviously put together a game plan. What he CAN'T do is make guys catch when they're open, make guys hold it when they DO catch it, and make guys not get injured. I think we have a great staff and if we can't get the job done with what he have we don't deserve to win anyway.

 

I'll go with 15-1, that game in Oakland will be tough, lol

Stay healthy, they will do better than last year and be a playoff team.
Get injured, then depth may be an issue. At least on the OL, WR, CB, S, positions.

 

Optimistic and hope they can improve

D Side:
Better turnover rate.
Get to the QB more often.
(Think we have a good chance of doing both this year)

O Side:
Better run game.
Better Red Zone %
(Think/hope we do both better this year. They've certainly addressed it which is good)

 

No we should be good in Oakland now because we've got their best weapon as our backup qb. LOL.

 

Hey, BB, I'm simply posting a link to an article an ESPN contributor wrote and thought it might be interesting to solicit some thoughts on it while giving my own. I remain an optimistic pessimist. Or am I pessimistic optimist. Not sure. Should have a better idea after the third pre-season game.

 

I guess our Special Teams must fall into the "Unmentionables" category.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...rth-preview-steelers-the-pick-to-win-division
I like these guys

 

I don't like this thread.

 

Depth is our achilles heel. If the o-line goes through another season of multiple injuries we're looking at 8-8 or worse.

 

LOL... Like always, we won`t mention the "special" teams, except when they break that rare run to the endzone.
As to the original point, I`m kinda surprised that came from a "credible" writer on ESPN.Com, as opposed to a self proclaimed analyst on "Bleacher Report"...
Why?
Because one of his statements, kinda contradicted his own point, or at least, made me wonder why he included it in the article...
The part about us only having a losing season 7 times in the last forty years...
And his opening statement, saying that "ALL" we have to rely on is "history, tradition, and pride"...
Those are called "intangibles", for a reason.
You can`t neccessarilly quantify it with stats, but the proof is in the pudding,
As he goes on to mention later in the article...
We ARE a model of consistency... The ONLY team with 6 Lombardi`s...
Playoff-bound roughly 70% of the time, if not more(I ain`t gonna crunch the numbers, but that seems about right, since 1970...)...
And YET... He seems to feel that is gonna change...
Sure, I am looking thru homer colored glasses, but given our history... you really gonna count us down and out all of a sudden?
Do we have issues? Sure, what team doesn`t?
To me, it boils down to staying healthy, and eliminating mistakes...
If we play fundamentally sound football, and don`t kill ourselves with penalties, and turnovers... I believe we DEFINITELY still have the talent on this roster to get to the superbowl!
Our depth is a concern, mostly along the O-line, but that goes for every team, in some area...
Over the years, we have consistentley had some of the best back-ups, in the league.
With the exception of the O-line, I think that still holds true.
I watched the video-"highlights" of our loss to the Giants, and just shook my head at the commentary...
Sanders is gonna pick up the slack for Wallace.... REALLY?!? I thought we signed A Brown for that role...
We con`t throw the ball deep... REALLY?!?... Ben said we were focusing on working on our short passing game, against a formidable 4-3 type defense...
ETC, ETC,
I forget what other comments I heard, now, but some of them were obviously made by someone unfamiliar, with our team, in particular.
A lot of generalizations, that didn`t really apply to the game they were analyzing.
As for the writer of that article...
THIRD place, in a division that includes the Clowns, Bungles, and Cravens?!?
I highly doubt it.
Not that this isn`t gonna be a tough division, I just believe when we have our backs to the wall, and stilll have plenty of players left that remember the disappointment of last year, we are gonna do MUCH better than 8-8!!!
I get the O.P.`S concern about "flatness", etc... I just don`t believe the PLAYERS will let that happen, nevermind the Head Coach... I`m in the same boat, there... I WANNA like him... He just has to give me more reasons to...
And after the first pre-season game, I saw the same old same old... us beating ourselves...
I HAVE to believe that will change when the games count, or I would go completely mad!!!
LOL!!!
Yes, we can fall victim to the curse of "Mediocrity", that hits ALLL NFL teams at some point.
I believe we did it in the mid 80`s to early 90`s...
And we learned our lessons(Or the Rooneys did)... and we won`t make those mistakes again!!!
HERE WE GO STEELERS!!! HERE WE GO!!! PITTSBURGH`S GOIN TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!

 

It wasn't directed at you, it was meant for the article.

To me its filled with the same old, same old. I get tired of hearing every year about the old defense, the crappy oline, and the imminent demise of the Steelers, yet it never appears. Especially in light of how the Ravens lost how many starters from the Super Bowl? yet everyone still swings from their nuts like they're returning the whole team.

Im not one to panic. This team is two years removed from 12-4 and was rolling last year until oline injuries (yet again) lead to BB getting injured (yet again) wrecked the season. They've had turnover, but you need turnover or you'll end up old. Provided the oline stays healthy (which has been an issue) this team will be okay. Are they the best in the league or even conference? Not by a long shot. But I like their chances at making the playoffs.

 

Gotcha!

I figured that out after I re-read your post. I must admit that, as I read the article, the writer did seem like a Rats, Bungles or Clowns homer. But he did make some fair points and if last year taught us anything it's that we can lose to anyone at anytime. I'd just be happy going into a game with some intensity and a sense of urgency, looking like we've prepared and are executing on an effective gameplan.

 

Some days I just laugh at what the "national" writers put in print. Suddenly we have no idea how to run a franchise after the previous 40 years of success??? We still have a franchise QB, a very good defense and our 2nd year under a OC that is on the same page as the franchise QB. The only thing that can derail this season from hoisting #7 is injurires. I believe we will be the 1 or 2 seed in the AFC this year. The 1 seed could be Denver if not us.

I thing our demise is so overblown it is ridiculous... But go ahead and count us out! Just remember when you are wrong you went against the BEARD!

 

I dont even know what to expect actually. Last year was such a huge disappointment. The injuries last year I could handle but the lack of passion shown just really bothered me. Tomlin's decision to keep Leftwich in the Ravens game when he clearly had a rib injury was another thing that bothered me.

I liked what I saw from the starters in the Giants game. I hope we bounce back this year and play with some FIRE!

 

I think even if we have a few injuries (short term) it's going come down to wow well our young RB'S hit the holes. We have speed now and all an O lineman has to do is stay on the block for a shorter time and they will be gone! Sounds easy don't it.