There seemingly has been something lost in the past couple weeks when the storylines have been the Steelers not playing and also some people feeling a need to connect Mike Tomlin to jobs he will never take --- there still is a season left to be played. It is, essentially, an 11-game season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Will they end up 9-8? Maybe 8-9? Something drastically different than that? Who knows?
The squad sits at 3-3 with a game at Cleveland on the horizon Sunday night and even that game proper has been clouded by a storyline within: Will Baker Mayfield take the field for the Browns or will Case Keenum be the guy under center?
But back to the point, we have to get back to the point here in town: The Pittsburgh Steelers need to make the playoffs this season. At the very least. That should be the demand.
Got that?
You understand?
This won't be the demand within the Steelers' offices (for some ridiculous reason) but it should be. The hierarchy should make it an ultimatum that this coaching staff, front office and players guide this team to at least a playoff spot --- and maybe even a playoff win or heads will roll.
They won't do that for some reason, but they should.
I mean, after all, if that wasn't the goal why the heck was Ben Roethlisberger invited back?
If that wasn't the goal, why didn't the Steelers just get going along with a rebuild that included the quarterback position?
To wit, the Steelers last won a playoff game on January 15, 2017 when they got past the Kansas City Chiefs on the strength of six Chris Boswell field goals.
Let's say the Steelers don't win a playoff game this season --- and from this view there seems to be a decent probability of not winning a playoff game this season.
That would mark five consecutive seasons without a playoff win.
You know when you have to go back to this franchise having five straight seasons without a playoff win? I do. It was that span of time before 1972 when they hadn't won any in franchise history.
Yep. Since 1972 there has never been a five-year span where the Pittsburgh Steelers have not won a playoff game.
So I'm incredibly intrigued as to how the remainder of this season goes. I'm also actually looking at it with pretty much one (maybe two) measuring sticks when I determine success: Did they make the playoffs and did they win a playoff game? Make no mistake, if the Steelers don't do the latter they are in the middle of a tailspin not seen in these parts in a long, long time.
I'd say it would be time to make some big changes. But I'm told time and again the organization just doesn't operate that way for some reason.
