There is....... a ton of negatively on this forum. Not just from the AB drama, but from way, way back. Too much for my tastes, especially considering how wildly successful the Steelers actually are. Sure, they aren't on a current super bowl streak like the Pats, nor are they in the playoffs. But they aren't a team where we are sucking up 6-10 seasons every other, or third year from either. I mean the Ravens are considered a good team by just about everyone, not great, but good, and their fans have to deal with this:
Baltimore Ravens
Year |
Record |
Finish (Regular / Post Season) |
2018 |
10-6-0 |
1st -- AFC North |
2017 |
9-7-0 |
2nd -- AFC North |
2016 |
8-8-0 |
2nd -- AFC North |
2015 |
5-11-0 |
3rd -- AFC North |
Bottom line, there are clear issues to be fixed. But the team is not some powerhouse that *should* be winning all the time either. They have some superstars, but a ton of holes too. Those holes cost games. This year Boz's slump alone cost us the playoffs -- the margin is that close.
AB flipping out may wind up being the best thing for us, depending on how it shakes out. The team needs a "come to Jesus" moment to be sure. But we also have a chance to trade AB and maybe wind up with a better, more balanced team overall. I'm not saying that it will actually work that way, but when a guy doesn't show for work, and has been a problem for a long time, you look at ditching him. You have to, or you risk losing control of all your staff. This could send a message to the team. That they are a TEAM. And if we get a good trade, we could be okay. Honestly the Offense was doing a great job spreading the ball around, while the Defense was still regularly making serious, basic mistakes. If I could trade AB for a medical miracle for Shazier, I would. This is a rare, weird, one of a kind chance to really change the team around in a meaningful way that you just don't see normally.
Can that also cut to the "culture" issue? Well again, it is an opportunity. If it isn't taken then that's on the Steelers, and they don't deserve to win. But if I were the ownership my thinking is that the window is not closed -- we still have Ben, a great Oline, and a good core front 7 on Defense. We need another playmaker on the backfield, and a set of high football IQ guys to support him. With some good pickups in the draft we can wind up right back in this thing next year, maybe having dropped our locker room cancer guys and learned the lesson that no player is above the team. Maybe.
And even if the window is closed, a high 1st draft pick comes to the Steelers only once in a couple of decades, so a replacement for Ben could be a serious choice. That would close the window, but would also open another one.
My thinking is that the whole situation sucked, this year was snake-bitten and just massively disappointing, but you know what? If you can deal away the guys who don't want to be on a successful team than Buffalo is that-a-way, and we have a great deal of needs that have been very, very hard to fill, especially considering our spot in the draft. Take the opportunity, get the players, change the locker room, revitalize the franchise. This needs to be approached as a glass half-full situation, imo.
Dissolv