Dec 24 2008
Steelers mid-week review
Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh Steelers, their luck ran out last Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. After two thrilling games where the Steelers won in the last few minutes, there was no such comeback against the Titans, and the Steelers lost 31-14. In the NFL, you can only have so many come from behind, fourth quarter victories. Sooner or later, things will catch up with you. That’s what happened to the Steelers. Too many offensive miscues and lack of scoring could not be remedied by the great defense.
By losing to the Titans, the Steelers will not get to play all their playoff games at home, though they do have the first bye week. The season ends this Sunday, when the Steelers play at home against the woeful Cleveland Browns. After that, it’s a bye week and then on to the playoffs. What are the Steelers chances for the rest of the playoffs?
A look at their last few games can give one some idea of the roadblocks that stand between the Steelers and a Super Bowl win. Obviously, the defense is one of the best in the entire league, so no complaints there. The main problem will be the offense. Big Ben is having a so-so year. There have been a few great endings where he came through, but there have been too many games where his play is just average. Too many interceptions, too many times holding onto the ball much too long. Ben has also had a lot of injuries over the season, and though he seems all right most of the time, you have to wonder if they are starting to add up a little bit. And the offensive line has sometimes not given him the protection any effective quarterback needs. Whatever the reason, the offense has not played up to expectations.
The running game has also been a problem. Willie Parker is coming back from a broken leg. He has had a few effective games, but he is way off his usual pace. He has also had other injuries over the course of the season. Mewelde Moore has been an excellent backup, having a number of solid runs, but the running game is still not as robust as usual. Put these two major factors together, and it should be no surprise that of the eight division leading teams, Pittsburgh has the lowest number of total points.
Of course, all is not lost, and the Steelers might still make it to the Super Bowl. I certainly hope they do. But right now, the odds look to be against it, for the main reason that the offense has just not stepped up enough to match the great defense, and as the Tennessee game showed, the defense can only do so much. We’ll see what happens over the next month; that’s why they play the game. Go Steelers.
