Monday, November 19, 2007

What an Embarrassment!!!

If the first play of the game wasn’t enough of an embarrassment, it just got worse as the day progressed for the Steelers. A 100 yard rusher for the first time since forever, seven sacks given up, only 50 yards from the team’s top rusher, just 13 points against the league’s worst defense, another bad special teams performance -- that’s a bad day. This team is a lot better than this performance, but they need to be consistent. Did they still have a chance to win this game despite playing such a terrible game? Surprisingly, yes. But, they didn’t deserve it and that’s why they lost.

Tomlin needs to become a veteran coach as this season progresses. It was looking like the team would be 10-2 heading into the game against the cheaters (Patriots), but obviously the best we can hope for is 9-3 now. That 10-2 record probably would have been enough to lock up a playoff spot.

This team needs to look at this loss and learn from the many problems they showed they had. If they don’t, they will lose to the Patriots badly. Is this team still good enough to knock the Patriots down? I think they are. When everything is clicking, the Steelers are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They need to focus and get their swagger back.

In these next six weeks, Tomlin will define whom he is as a coach in the fans’ eyes for years to come. If this team wins the division, Tomlin will begin building his legacy. If Cleveland edges the Steelers out, Tomlin will struggle to regain the fans’ trust. I still really like Tomlin and his approach to the game, but he needs to get this team back on track and playing at a high level.

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