This team goes against my Football Fan DNA

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and my football fan DNA was created during the late 70s Steel Curtain days. I came to expect not only successful seasons and playoffs, but a type of football with an offense characterized by a pounding ground game and long bombs by a somewhat wacky quarterback to gifted receivers, and a hard hitting defense that intimidated opponents. My dad, on the other hand, was a diehard Steelers fan in the 50s and 60s. His fan DNA was forged by losing seasons, poor play, and little chance of success. To this day, he expects the Steelers to find a way to lose, and he views victories as somewhat special and defeats as the norm. I, however, expect victories, and view them as the norm and defeats as devastating. In a way I envy his view.

In reading all the posts about what is wrong with this team (yet there is much that is right), my major source of disappointment is how this team has deviated from what my fan DNA has come to expect. We no longer have a pounding ground game, partly because the game has changed, but mostly because we don’t have a running back like Franco or the Bus. Strangely, we have the wacky quarterback and gifted receivers, but they don’t seem to be working together well this season. And the defense, though ranked #1, is doing so by playing passive coverage and is not threatening or intimidating.

So my Christmas wish list is: Let Ben do what he does best – improvise to his speedster receivers; run Dwyer and Redman up the gut as they did a few games this year – impose your will; blitz 7 or 8 guys occasionally – take a risk for a big play. And win the next 6 games.

And hold on to the freakin’ ball.