Ok Am I Missing Something.

It's irrational to think they will compete for a title next year. Given the pieces this team already has, it's also irrational to think the bottom will completely drop out. I suspect the answer is somewhere in the middle which is where fans expectations should be. As long as all of the new pieces fit together, they won't have to throw the puzzle against the wall and start over.

 

Since you brought up the Patriots, let’s look at the whole picture.

As others pointed out, they’ve gone 8-9, 4-13, and 4-13 the previous seasons. The Pats benefited from a cupcake schedule this year plus many years of abysmal playing to stockpile talent.

And since you set the bar at winning a playoff game within 3 seasons, the Pats have zero playoff wins the past 6 seasons. That includes when they were 12-4 with Belichick and Brady and still lost to the last seed 9-7 Titans.

(With the way the Texans are playing, there is a decent chance of the Pats being bounced by a WC despite being the 2nd seed.)

 

Not to play devils advocate, but I think you might be suggesting that it hinges on QB? The QB that Cowher wanted to pass on for a guard (Andrews)?

 

QB is obviously important here’s to hoping Will can be the next great one.

 

What the **** have the Steelers won exactly the last 15 years? They’ve been losing.

 

How could anyone watch CJ Stroud the other night and think he’s beating a functional football team? Plus I believe Nico Collins is out.

 

(I fixed mentioning their win last week before reading your post.)

I did mention they had many years of below-average to bottom-feeding play to stock up their roster.

Maybe the Pats are peaking at the right time. But I suspect they are the team that struggled to beat a Burrow-less Bengals team.

 

This is why even though some of these guys tried to tell me “nobody cares about non losing seasons” sure you don’t.

 

I don’t think they are winning it all necessarily but they can definitely beat the Texans.

 

Agree 100 percent. I hear people say Tomlin won with Cowher’s team, especially pointing out Ben, but Cowher had him for three years and he wasn’t even Cowher’s pick.

 

i think with the right hires the team might surprise. let's be real here, the roster probably won't change a ton. plus there are 12 draft picks coming. i think most of us can agree with some better game planning, play calling, and better coaching the team might actually be a little better. i am also sure many of us can agree that the play calling and play design hasn't been the best over the past 3 or 8 years or so...

i am not saying the team will win more games right away but they might be more competitive even in the games they lose. how many games were throw away games because the team always came out flat against competition they were expected to beat? if you can turn some of those games around the win total might not be that different honestly.

 

But Cowher coached him up!

 

I think we're definitely aiming for the 49ers/Rams/Seahawks model. Shula appears to be the prime candidate and the rest of the field looks like candidates they're interviewing to make it appear that they're casting a wide net. Klay Kubiak doesn't call plays and is more of an OC placeholder, and Scheelhaase never called plays as well, so I'm just not seeing them as candidate and the DC line-up just seems even worse. Flores seems like a guy that can possibly be the DC at least.

I don't know how our current players fit into this model or how much roster retention there will be. I don't think they'll be aiming for a bunch of 30+ guys in FA, but I think we'll definitely see some NFCW guys added to the roster.

 

It will be humorous if we end up at 10-7 next season and either miss the playoffs or lose in the wild card round. Not because I would want that, but because all the people screaming for change, change happens, and the result is the same. That will be funny to me. I love irony.

 

We need to tank for a year or two. Status quo is why we’re in this abyss. 10-7. Not anywhere close to a title; however, far from a good draft pick. Don’t know what else to say.

 

SDOT, your posts of 2-3 years ago are turning out to be right.
1. Tomlin's hiring of poor assistant coaches was a big flaw
2. Tomlin's hiring and drafting from his mid-Atlantic states roots was a mistake
3. We should have traded Watt for a 1st round pick+
4. We're stuck being a 9-8 team (+ or - 1 win)

board members/fans are finding this out now..and I think you should get some credit for calling it.

 

I thought same thing.

 

Didn't go through all four pages of the thread but something else needs to be considered about the next season and coach. I get everyone is focused on the Steelers but the other teams in the division are making changes too.

• Two new HCs will be entering the division next year. Depending on who those are and what kind of staff they bring could completely change the division heirarchy.
• Obviously, Zac Taylor has a huge advantage going into next season. His offense is set and only needs to add pieces to his defense. They could become the division leader for several years at least.
• Cleveland has a sound defense and some nice pieces on offense. What if they grab Kubiak? They could make the next step up with their high picks and a QB in the coming draft.
• Baltimore has their QB and RB. That offense probably will not drastically change. If they hire a defensive guru like Flores, add some DL pieces, it could be just the ticket for a strong postseason run.

This is a coming era of great uncertainty. But the one thing Steeler fans can bank on is that the org has gotten it right in the past. And they are very patient in letting the HC play out his vision for the team. The Steelers need a HC that commands a presence in the room. They had that in Cowher and Tomlin. Fingers crossed they find that same kind of leadership again.

 

i just started a thread kind of about this. i don't think it's will we be good but how we change the team instead of just coach. it doesn't have to be drastic, but change of priority of positions changed and not the same money put at the positions we were putting money at.

 

With so many unknowns right now at HC, entire coaching staff, and players, I'm not expecting much. I don't see 9+ wins with postseason berth on the table for this upcoming season. Possible? Of course. Realistic? I don't think so.

 

I don't know there's really such a thing as a "cupcake" schedule. Especially THIS year, where there's no clear juggernaut teams. And the Pats* also won a playoff game THIS season. So, they're not exactly frauds.

Many years of abysmal playing to stockpile talent?! They were 10-7 in 2021. Then 3 years of bad records before Vrabel and Maye now have them as playoff contenders.

There's ALWAYS a chance for someone to be bounced in the playoffs. That's why they play the games. But the Pats* have turned it around in very short order with a new coaching staff, after what many called the greatest coach in the NFL left, in Belichick.

I'm not even sure what you're arguing. My point is that the team needed to move on from Tomlin after 19 years with only 4 of them resulting in a playoff win. They've done that. And now, with an all new coaching staff and QB, it's reasonable to think they could get worse before getting better. And I'm sure any coach that comes in will have set - for himself - winning a playoff game by year 3. It doesn't always happen for sure, but if that's not your goal, you shouldn't be in the job.

 

we can be competitive - it depends if we go with a young 'rookie' QB

do we tank for a season, trade Watt, etc.

we have ~25 unsigned guys, SO A LOT OF WORK to do.....

 

Fortunately if that happens no one here will mention it