HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. -- Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
When you’re on top, everyone comes for you, and the target only gets bigger and bigger as the days go by.
We’ve all heard and read stories of kings and tyrants all over the Earth being cruel and unjust rulers. The stories told in textbooks about the ways men like Genghis Khan ruled with an iron fist and took out anyone who was a threat because, if he'd show any sign of weakness, the entire empire could fall.
In NFL, the same thing kind of applies. From week to week, it’s about showing as few chinks in the armor as possible. And for the Steelers specifically, a few have been exposed in these past two games, both losses.
Washington didn’t do anything special against the black and gold. It was mostly self-inflicted and seemingly correctable. The first thing was the running game. It was the most obvious thing that should and could have been corrected. Another negative was the amount of dropped passes by receivers, tight ends and running backs.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the goal-line pass to a tackle-eligible.
There were some interesting comments made by Washington’s young stud and No. 2 overall pick, edge rusher Chase Young, after the game. He said, “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.” Later asked what he knew, it was simply breaking down the film and doing what the Ravens did against the Steelers five days earlier. The Ravens are the Steelers’ biggest rival and both teams know each other inside and out. Nevertheless, having something like this said on national TV has to raise eyebrows.
The Washington loss didn’t bother me too much for a couple of reasons — it had been coming for a couple weeks with the way execution had leveled off and it occurred against an NFC team, which wouldn’t hurt the Steelers as much in tiebreakers.
It was the loss to the Bills that gave us a collective facepalm. I’ve got a few reasons, and I’m guessing they are similar to yours.
The most important is the Steelers losing grip on the top seed and the automatic bye week that comes with it. The Chiefs are really putting it together after that recent scare against the Raiders.
Second, the issues that showed up the previous week against Washington carried over versus the Bills. I’ll never tell guys how to do their jobs because I respect them and I know the pressure they put on themselves, But when you’re a professional football player, some plays are supposed to be routine. Catching the ball when Ben Roethlisberger is delivering really good passes should be second-nature. There were times during the game I was saying, “Ben is more accurate than ever before,” and you can’t afford to miss those layups.
The last issue I have with Sunday’s game is it’s December, and this is the time of the year when teams start to ascend or descend. It’s the time of the year when the running game has to take over. And it’s just not happening. It’s not like the guys don’t want it to work. It's not like they don't want to steamroll everybody in their way. But whether it’s the play called or the execution from the opposing defense, something needs to change. This is a very prideful bunch up front, and I know that for a fact. If there’s a way to will the running game back to health, they will do it.
It doesn't take away from what the rookie from Washington said. At this point, everyone knows Pittsburgh’s main deficiencies, and those are the running game and finding ways to sustain drives. The four first-quarter punts against the Bills were a first for the Steelers since 1994.
The defense is also starting to show some wear. Health and availability is needed for any team making a push for the playoffs. This defense has made historical strides with everyone putting their hands in the pile. The amount of sacks and tackles for loss and scores has kept the Steelers in some games as of late when the offense has struggled. Yet the defensive stoutness has its limits when asked to spend too much time on the field.
It sure would have been nice to have an actual bye week, but we can’t go back in time now. Everybody needs to catch their collective breath over the next week.
The Steelers simply can’t show signs of being tired, no matter what comes their way. It’s easy to succumb to almost everything about this season -- the loss of key players, the multiple schedule changes, a city that expects the damned best from you week in and week out. Chasing the Super Bowl isn’t easy. It’s never been perfect, but for those Dolphins of old.
It’s now about finishing the regular season strong to build momentum for the playoffs. Can’t grow tired. These last two weeks have been discouraging, maybe even a bit alarming with the growing number of injuries. The NFL can be unforgiving place. Just don’t give up. And that includes the fan base. There's more race to run.
Oh, and I won’t be coming out of retirement.