When the NFL playoffs begin this weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers, for just the third time this century, will be watching the games at home like the rest of the have-nots. The 2012 season will be remembered as one of those odd, underwhelming years that stick out like sore thumbs: ’09, ’06, ’03, and the dark ages from ’98 to ’00.
Those years also represent the complete list of non-playoff seasons in Pittsburgh since Bill Cowher was hired in 1992. While some franchises view a postseason berth as a noteworthy accomplishment, it’s more remarkable in Pittsburgh when the Steelers aren’t invited to the dance. And so we must ask the inevitable questions that come with an 8-8 record.
What happened to the offense?
You remember that juggernaut, featuring a two-time Super Bowl champ in his prime at quarterback, an elite tight end, a first-round draft pick at running back, and at least one receiver who think he should make Larry Fitzgerald money. Looks ok on paper, right?
But here’s where you glance at the stats, and see that the Steelers averaged 21 points per game (less than the offensively-challenged Chicago Bears and San Diego Chargers) and 5 yards per play (less than bottom feeders Oakland and Philadelphia). The Steelers also lost 33 fumbles, second-most in the league, which contributed to their overall minus-10 turnover ratio.
Mike Wallace had a bitterly disappointing season, dropping several key passes and getting booed at home along the way. The Steelers may have dodged a bullet when he turned down their lucrative contract offer last summer.
The good things of 2012 – Roethlisberger’s 26 TDs against 8 interceptions, Heath Miller’s fine season – were rendered obsolete by, well, everything mentioned above. Oh, and I almost forgot – the backup quarterbacks were dreadfully unprepared and lost two winnable games that could have changed the season.
What happened to the running game?
The ground game has long a source of unabashed pride for Steeler Nation. The Rooneys so desperately wanted to improve the rushing attack that Todd Haley was hired with that specific mission. A renewed ground game was supposed to stabilize the offense, take the heat off Big Ben, and control the time of possession.
Well, at least one of those things was accomplished: Pittsburgh held the ball for more than 32 minutes per game, better than any team except the Texans.
The rest is brutal. 3.7 yards per carry. 26th in the NFL in rushing. 3 different players – Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, and Alfred Morris – had more yards this season than the entire Steelers roster. Remember Byron Leftwich’s 31-yard touchdown scamper against the Ravens? It was the Steelers’ second-longest rush in 2012.
Jonathan Dwyer, on the practice squad for most of his career, led the black-and-gold with 623 yards rushing. It was their lowest total for a leading rusher since 1991, when Merril Hodge finished with 610 yards. They didn’t make the playoffs that season, either.
What’s up with Todd Haley?
Haley’s name is now being tossed around as a potential head coach, which is slightly more amazing than the fact that the Steelers haven’t let him go already. His new offensive system was a failure on almost every level. Roethlisberger had a decent season but never looked comfortable or in sync with his unit. He was sacked less but still suffered a major injury.
Haley’s tenure with the Steelers may or may not end after one season, but it’s clear that the passing game regressed, the offense didn’t score enough points, and the running game was the worst it’s been in a generation.
Other than that, he did ok.
So what about the defense?
1st in total defense – again. Least yards allowed against the pass. A healthy James Harrison, and (eventually) a healthy Troy Polamalu. Allowed less than 20 points per game. Allowed only two plays more than 40 yards. Looks ok on paper, right?
At the very least, it should have been enough to secure a playoff spot in the watered-down AFC. But, like in 2009, the defense was unable to get some key stops in late games. The Raiders, Titans, Bengals and Cowboys all kicked field goals in the final minute or at the buzzer to seal 3-point victories. If the defense would have swung any of those games with a timely big play, they probably aren’t sitting at home this weekend.
Aside from the noticeable declines of Harrison and Polamalu, several other key players on defense failed to play to their potential. LaMarr Woodley continued his backslide into mediocrity. Lawrence Timmons and Ziggy Hood didn’t have bad seasons, but both former first-round picks have struggled to make impact plays and take on leadership roles. Veterans such as Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel and Larry Foote have naturally declined with age, and this is to be expected. What’s not acceptable that Timmons, Woodley, Hood and others have failed to become the alpha dogs of this still-dominant defense.
In an unusual twist, the Steelers’ secondary was the strong point of perhaps the entire team. Ryan Clark had one of his best overall seasons. Keenan Lewis shook off some early struggles and looks like a long-term starter at cornerback. Ike Taylor, a perennial whipping boy of the talk-show calling circuit, showed every knucklehead who wanted to bench him just how valuable he has been over the past eight seasons. Without him, the pass defense was shredded by Phil Rivers and Tony Romo, and with that came two back-breaking late-season defeats.
Will the Steelers make the playoffs in 2013?
It’s hard to believe the Steelers will miss out on the postseason two seasons in a row, mostly because it hasn’t happened in 12 years. Mike Tomlin has already said Dick LeBeau will be back. If the Steelers can get healthy this offseason and prudently use their higher-than-usual draft picks, there’s no reason to believe they won’t return to their usual position as one of the AFC elites.
However, there’s one key thing that needs to be fixed, and the handyman will be whoever the offensive coordinator is next season. For some strange reason, Ben Roethlisberger is the only truly elite quarterback who isn’t the centerpiece of his offense. If he wants to run no huddle every Sunday, why not let him? If he wants to leave the pocket and make those ridiculous on-the-run throws that he’s become known for, why try to stop him? Why not explore how to improve the potentially dangerous passing game, instead of stubbornly sticking with a floundering running game? Why not let Ben be Ben?
An offensive coordinator takes a backseat when his quarterback is named Brady, Manning, Rodgers, Brees, or, yes, Roethlisberger. At the very least, the coach and player must direct the offense in harmony. This has long been the case with the Patriots, Colts (and now Broncos), Giants, Packers, and Saints. This was not the case in Pittsburgh in 2012, and last time I checked, the player has had a much more successful career than the coach. This dynamic will need to be fixed in 2013, or 8-8 might be seen not as a dismal failure but more like a sensible prediction.
