NEW CASTLE —
A wise man once said, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you place the blame.”
I think it was Beano Cook, rest his witty soul. Maybe it was Gandhi.
Perhaps it was just me.
Whichever of us it was, great insight.
Last night was a game filled with interesting factoids, such as Ben Roethlisberger surpassing Terry Bradshaw as the franchise’s all-time leader in passing yards, Heath Miller moving into third place in team history for career receptions and Isaac Redman being the first Pittsburgh running back in 42 years with a 100-yard receiving game.
But the statistic that jumps out at you should be this:
Over the last five seasons, more Steelers offensive lineman (37) have had the back of their legs rolled up on by big hogs than every other team in the NFL combined (35)*.
(*Completely made up statistic, done purely to facilitate the point of this column.)
Well, it sure seems that way.
Once Maurkice Pouncey hit the turf (again) as if he had been shot after he had been rolled up on during the first play from scrimmage, I typed “Game Over” on my keyboard. Perhaps I shoulda typed “Season Over.”
Mike Tomlin likes to say, “The standard is the standard” after one of his top players gets hurt, as if he seriously expects his backups to play as well as his starters.
Is that right, Mike? Would there be no dropoff if Todd Haley took over for you as head coach?
Perhaps the Steelers should have won in Tennessee last night instead of losing 26-23 on a last-second field goal, but says here that you can feel free to blame this one on injuries.
Pittsburgh is 28-9 when Troy Polamalu plays since 2009, now 7-9 when he doesn’t. With Polamalu, LaMarr Woodley and Pouncey out of the action, as they were for 59 minutes and 55 seconds last night, the Steelers are 0-17* in that time.
(*Yes, another made up stat, but also seemingly true.)
The standard may be the standard, but Polamalu, Woodley and Pouncey are all Pro Bowlers. How would The Stones play without Mick and Keith? Could Honey Boo Boo fill in for Snooki just because they are both reality TV beauties?
Backups are backups for a reason, and the Steelers are going nowhere with so many stars hurt.
Oh, sure, there was plenty of blame to go around last night.
Ike Taylor covered less than a thong. Keenan Lewis dropped an easy interception on Tennessee’s game-tying touchdown drive. The blocked punt was a killer. Roethlisberger missed two open receivers on his wild scramble right before Shaun Suisham’s missed field goal in the final minute.
Says here that none of that would have mattered had the team been at full strength.
It may sound like an excuse, and it is. A good one. Winning that game without so many elite players in addition to key guys like Redman, Rashard Mendenhall and Marcus Gilbert exiting the game with injuries would have been impressive.
The upside to this viewpoint is that, if healthy, the Steelers (even at 2-3) might still be a legitimate playoff contender in a weakened AFC.
The downside: is there any reason to believe that Polamalu, Woodley, Pouncey and friends are capable of staying healthy?
(Steve Treu covers the Steelers for The News.)
Steelers
Related Photos
-
Steve Treu covers the Steelers for the New Castle News.
Discussion
Steve Treu on the Steelers: How could Pittsburgh lose to lowly Titans? Too many injuries, too little defense
- Steelers
-
-
NFL Draft: Steelers trade to select QB Landry Jones of Oklahoma
Forget the first three rounds of the draft, it took until the third day for things to really get interesting for the Steelers. A linebacker, a halfback and a wide receiver fail in comparison to what happened Saturday in the fourth round. First, the Steelers traded away a future draft pick for the first time in 40 years, and then they drafted a quarterback!
-
Gene Collier: Jones falls into Steelers' lap during NFL Draft
The surprises didn't exactly come in waves in Round 1 of the NFL draft, which was perfectly thematic because it was certainly no surprise when the Steelers pounced on Jarvis Jones, much in the way they expect him to pounce on quarterbacks as early as this fall.
-
NFL Draft: Steelers looking for depth, not impact players
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert doesn’t believe there’s an immediate starter to be found with the team’s 17th pick in the NFL draft.
-
Steelers sign Gradkowski; Leftwich likely gone
Bruce Gradkowski, who grew up in Dormont and played at Seton-LaSalle High School, has signed a three-year contract to return home to play quarterback for the Steelers.
-
Steelers cut James Harrison in cap move
James Harrison’s snarling tenacity made the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker one of the NFL’s most intimidating players for nearly a decade. Big hits — some legal, some not so much — also turned the outspoken five-time Pro Bowler into focal point for a league-wide crackdown on helmet-to-helmet contact.
-
Big Ben announces K-9 grant for New Castle
New Castle’s police department has received a grant from the Ben Roethlisberger Foundation to add to its K-9 unit. The $8,000 grant will be used to buy a dog, either trained or untrained, and a safety vest for the canine. If the dog requires training, the grant covers that cost.
-
County commissioners call meeting on YDC
The Lawrence County commissioners have invited area legislators and other officials to discuss options for the Youth Development Center property. Commissioner Chairman Dan Vogler said the meeting, set for tomorrow afternoon will basically be “a brainstorming session” among the officials “to discuss what options are open to us.”
-
Steelers cut RB Rainey after arrest in Florida
Rookie running back Chris Rainey has run out of chances with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers cut the troubled 24-year-old following his arrest on a battery charge in Gainesville, Fla., yesterday, the latest in a series of off-the-field incidents that have threatened his career.
-
Steelers bracing for changes after 8-8 season
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent all fall claiming the chatter generated by various off-the-field issues was only so much background noise. Through Mike Wallace’s contract status to the relationship between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley to the injury problems that kept bold-faced players out of the lineup for long stretches, the Steelers insisted they were focused.
-
Steve Treu: Like his Steelers teammates, Big Ben played small when it mattered most
He is the player most responsible for restoring championship glory to the franchise. More than any other, he should get the most credit for delivering the last two Super Bowl titles to Pittsburgh.
- More Steelers Headlines
-
