After watching the Steelers secondary perform this past Thursday, I could not help but hear The Who front man Roger Daltrey passionately exhorting the final verse of their hit song “Won’t Get Fooled Again” in my ear.
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss!”
Although I’m sure some of you reading this may not remember this classic tune, it seemed to be pretty fitting. That’s because anyone who watched the Patriots surgically take apart the Steelers pass defense should get the comparison: new year, some fresh faces with the promise of change, but in the end, more of the same.
Heading into the season, the hope was that players such as Cortez Allen and Mike Mitchell would bounce back from nightmarish seasons, and players such as Shamarko Thomas and newly acquired Brandon Boykin would help improve a Steeler secondary that had their fair share of struggles last year.
Unfortunately, the Steelers secondary did very little to make anyone believe much has changed in the opening salvo, as Tom Brady and company were able to create much of their offense through the air, and All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski caught three of the four Brady touchdown passes.
Every bit as concerning was the fact that presumptive starter at strong safety Thomas did not play a down despite healthy, nor did Boykin, who the Steelers traded a fifth round pick to acquire and was expected to bring immediate help at cornerback.
That’s taking into account that Boykin was not exactly trying to supplant Mel Blount. The mere fact that both Allen and journeyman Antwan Blake played ahead of Boykin is not a good sign. Especially when you look at the play of Allen and Blake in Week 1.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin deflected some of the criticism of Blake and Allen’s play in his weekly press conference in the wake of them being named co-starters heading into Steelers contest with the San Francisco 49’ers this Sunday.
“We like some of the things we’ve seen from both guys,” Tomlin said. “There have also been some inconsistencies from both guys. That’s why they are listed that way, while also acknowledging sub-package football is a big element of the game. All three corners are going to play significant roles, regardless of who is starting.”
Whether or not that third cornerback will be Boykin at some point is still up in the air, but considering Boykin’s credentials as a nickel corner and the struggles of Allen in particular, it would seem fair to wonder what’s keeping him out of the picture.
Tomlin acknowledged the distinct possibility that Boykin will see playing time Sunday without committing to that fully, yet.
“We’ll see,” he said. We’re putting together a plan that will allow us to play the type of ball we want to play. He’s a guy who is under strong consideration,” Tomlin said.
The safety position is another issue heading into Sunday. Despite of coming into the season as a backup and dealing with concussion symptoms this week, it looks like Will Allen has supplanted Thomas at strong safety. In fact, not only has Allen taken Thomas’ starting job, special teams captain Robert Golden was Allen’s primary backup and saw the field Thursday over Thomas.
Without question, the play of Mitchell must improve after once again looking lost last week. Despite of plenty of excuses related to health issues last season, Mitchell is now in year two with the Steelers, and the defense is desperate for him to make an impact.
The good news is the Steelers pass defense does not have to deal with Brady and hopefully, faulty headsets this week. However, Colin Kaepernick is capable of doing damage through the air, and 49ers receivers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin have had plenty of success against the Steelers in the past.
What’s certain is the Steelers secondary, regardless of who plays, must improve quickly. If not, it could be a very long year for the Steeler defense.
