Mike Tomlin is well known for his "standard is the standard" phrase, which typically applies to the Steelers having a certain level of expectation of play from their backups when replacing starters.
But that phrase should apply to things beyond replacement players, as well.
For the Steelers, the standard hasn't been the standard when it comes to playing more than one hour outside the Eastern Standard Time Zone.
Since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger, the Steelers have a .618 winning percentage that is the highest in the NFL. They've won six Super Bowls, eight AFC championships, 22 division titles and have made 30 appearances in the postseason. What they haven't seemed to have figured out, however, is how to win when their internal clock is more than an hour off. The Steelers are just 26-48-1 when playing in the Mountain, Pacific or Greenwich Mean time zones.
Forget the red zone. Call those the "Trouble Zones" for the Steelers. And it hasn't been just a Tomlin issue, a Bill Cowher issue or a Chuck Noll issue. It's been a Steelers issue.
It's one the Steelers (7-4-1) need to solve Sunday when they head to Oakland to play the Raiders (2-10).
"My concern is this group this week in preparation for the group that they employ, so that’s my focus," Tomlin said. "I acknowledge the history that you speak of, but it’s not a major component of logistical preparation and things of that nature for us as we get ready for this game. It’s just not."
That being said, Tomlin is switching things up slightly this week. The Steelers will skip their typical morning walkthrough in Pittsburgh before heading to the airport and will leave for Oakland early in the morning. That is as much of a concession to the long flight as it is the three-hour time difference.
Noll and Cowher both tried going out to the West Coast two days ahead at various times with spotty success. And the Chargers arrived in Pittsburgh on Friday of last week before playing the Steelers Sunday -- winning 33-30 -- but Tomlin has never been a coach who has believed in going to a different time zone too early, even when the team went to London in 2013 to play the Vikings.
The Steelers left on Thursday night for that early season game, arriving Friday morning, the latest time permitted by the NFL for that trip. As the home team, the Vikings arrived on Tuesday.
Ben Roethlisberger threw for 383 yards in that game, but just one touchdown and an interception as the Steelers lost, 34-27. And he's averaged 312.5 yards passing per game in those time zones, but has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 27-23 as the Steelers have gone 4-13 in those games he's started outside of the Eastern and Central time zones.
"We went very late. You felt it," said Roethlisberger of the game against the Vikings. "The other team, I think Minnesota went earlier, and I think when you are going that far and going through time zones and different days that’s smarter to have more time. But we definitely felt that one; I did."
The Steelers looked like a tired team in that one, falling behind 20-10 in the first half.
Finding a way to win in Oakland, in particular, also has been a problem.
Despite the Raiders having just 13 winning seasons since 1980, the Steelers are just 3-6 in road games against the Raiders and 5-10 overall. And they're winless in their last three trips there despite those Raiders teams having a combined record of 10-38.
But the Steelers also weren't great teams in those seasons, either, finishing 8-8 in the seasons in which they have lost in Oakland, 2006, 2012 and 2013.
"I’d love to say it’s just too much sun, but I don’t know," said Cam Heyward, who has taken part in the two most recent losses in Oakland. "I don’t like to be a believer in jet lag and your body is trying to get accustomed to that and fighting that. We haven’t had a lot of success out there. It’s one of those things we have to clean up. I just asked everybody to try to retain water and everything, to gas up. We need to get the W by any means possible."
It's something the Steelers didn't do in their most recent trip outside of their comfort zone. They moved the ball up and down the field, gaining 527 yards, but dropped a 24-17 decision to the Broncos in Denver in their only trip into the "Trouble Zone" this season.
That loss dropped them to 1-3 -- including playoffs -- in those time zones since the start of the 2015 season. Considering the team is 44-18-1, including the playoffs, during that time period -- a .706 winning percentage -- to have a .250 winning percentage in those games is significant.
Heyward, at least, is trying to make it about returning to California, where the Steelers haven't played since beating the Chargers, 24-20, in San Diego in 2015 with Mike Vick at quarterback.
"The last time we went out there, it was for the Chargers and it was a heck of a Monday night game," he told me. "Whatever it takes. I’m not asking for it to be perfect. But we’ve got to get this W."
At 7-4-1, losers of their last two games and having seen their lead in the AFC North shrink to a half-game over the Ravens, that's what is needed, despite the team's foul history.
"I’ve been doing it for a while and I hear people talking about it," said Roethlisberger, who is 0-3 in starts in Oakland. Whether you are going to elevation in Denver or going to the West Coast, West-East, however you want to say it, but I’ve heard people say if it’s under 24 hours it doesn’t affect your body. We’ve always gone at the same time, as long as I’ve been here. This year, we are going earlier in the day, so I guess we are trying something different."