So I was listening to the Ringer's NFL Podcast this week (
https://www.theringer.com/2017/10/17...y-carson-wentz). Mostly just the usual ideas and opinions. But they got around to talking about parity across the league and they mentioned this article --
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2017/1...ning-agreement
One of the more interesting ideas in it is that the league has so many crap and underperforming teams in it right now because teams can not practice how they used to. So that gives us this quote:
"In 2011, the league struck a collective bargaining agreement that limited practice time and banned two-a-days from NFL training camp. Schwartz said most of the NFL’s on-field problems—lack of offensive line cohesion and tackling issues—can be traced back to this. It also created an environment where teams had less time to differentiate themselves on the practice field. Part of what makes a great team great is what it does during preparation time, so when there’s less prep time, there’s less time for the wheat to separate itself from the chaff. This has led to some teams, understanding that there’s no way to be ready for the season under the current rules, taking things much more slowly."
Apparently, recently, Belichick has spoken at length on the same issue. He basically argued that there is no way to be ready or good at the start of a season so he focuses on getting better during the course of the year and hoping to ready come playoff time. I couldn't find the quote - but I know it exists.
To bring this back to the Steelers, maybe this is the
simple and understandable explanation for the following:
1. Poor tackling
2. Confused play-calling and execution
3. Unforced mental errors
4. Starting "slow"
Basically, every major and repeated criticism of the team by most long-standing posters around here. Couple the reduced practice time with the other phenomena the posted article details - young rosters. To make the cap work, teams pay veteran "star players" and then fill in with cheap young and very young players across the roster. These inexperienced players have far too little prep time and no time for remedial fundamentals. We can see the results on Sundays.
Things that used to keep guys on the bench until they were "ready" (basically everything that Steeldude hates about the linebackers) are no longer cardinal sins. Young (CHEAP) players must get on the field and play through their issues in the hope that come "Crunch time" they will finally be "ready".
I don't know if anyone else would agree, but I see this kind of explaining almost (not the playcalling, odd roster choices, and a couple of other things) every single issue that we talk about during the Tomlin era Steelers. I never thought about it this way before. But it makes sense - at least to me.