Steelers Take First Step In Returning to Glory
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers know this is as bad as it's gotten for them. Even in the days of Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph, or the 1-3 start last season, the atmosphere wasn't this. It feels like, for the first time, Mike Tomlin knows there's trouble.
When you come into a season banking on your defense to carry the team and the running game to carry the offense, and neither work, things become scary. The Steelers are five weeks into the 2022 season, and the players who are putting any success on their back are rookies Kenny Pickett and George Pickens - with many waiting for undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren to be added to the mix.
It's by no means where they wanted, or believed, they would be.
"One thing that I want our team to know, and I stated it to them, is that we’re not going to cure our ills in one or a couple of days, or a good plan, or a good performance for that matter," Tomlin said. "The state that we’re in, we’ve got to put our heads down and work hard and diligently and stay together for an extended period of time as we grind our way back to respectability if you will."
The attitude in Pittsburgh is usually a bit delusional. We've seen them tank after an 11-0 start, or try to compete for the playoffs with a practice squad quarterback, but the mindset has always been that things are possible.
Right now, the understanding is that things could turn around, but it's not going to get done in a matter of a week. This team has a lot of growth to do.
"I just think it’s a mindset that we all need to have, understanding where we are," Tomlin said. "They’re not quick fixes, it’s not going to be based on one good performance or one good plan. I just think as we prepare and lean in for this next opportunity that we just say that, that we’re going to be working our tails off. We didn’t dig ourselves into this circumstance in one day, so we’re not going to dig ourselves out of this circumstance in one day or one performance."
It's the first time in four years covering this team that Tomlin let it be known that the Steelers understand how big their flaws are. And their flaws are massive.
They start Week 6 with the possibility that a rookie can be their go-to at wide receiver, quarterback, running back, tight end and defensive end. Meanwhile, their fourth and practice squad cornerbacks are on track to start against Tom Brady, and their last remaining star is battling through a knee injury that has clearly slowed him down.
The Steelers are in deep. But they understand how deep they are, and the first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one.
Every team in the National Football League goes through down years and rebuilds. It was only a matter of time before the Steelers did the same.
They've avoided it for as long as they could, but recognizing they need to start climbing back up is the only way they're actually going to do so.
"It’s about the development of players and concepts," Tomlin said. "That’s what it’s about. Our windshield is bigger than our rear view. We can waste a lot of time talking about things that have transpired.
"We talked about this collection of young guys that we have that are playing in some instances and how we can highlight what it is that they do well and stimulate and accelerate their growth and development and minimize some of the things that you don’t do well and find our personality in that way. Those are some of the things that have our attention as we sit here and formulate the plan for our next opportunity."
The journey back won't be easy or quick, but the Steelers understand they need some fixing. Which is the first step in them returning to the dominant state they're used to.
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