The head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been dismissed

The Pittsburgh Steelers were experiencing one of the greatest runs of success in football a month ago—they were accomplishing more with less resources. The Steelers had a 7-4 record going into Week 13, despite having a restricted (read: terrible) quarterback in Kenny Pickett, an awful offensive coach who had recently been dismissed, and a defense that gave up yards in large quantities. Even though they lost the yardage differential in every game, the squad had already made league history by being the first to sit above 500 through nine or more games. Both the Dec. 3 game and the next week’s matchup with the New England Patriots, who also had just two victories to their record, would take place at home against the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals. In spite of Pittsburgh’s shortcomings, both opponents ought to have been rather easy pickings for a club headed for the playoffs; instead, the Steelers created another history by being the first winning team to lose a straightaway game to a team eight games below.500. Last Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts, who had allowed the Steelers to take an early 13-0 lead before scoring 27 straight points, suffered yet another defeat. At 7-7 right now, head coach Mike Tomlin’s club has little chance of qualifying for the AFC playoffs.

Can the downfall of a football club be both predictable and unexpected at the same time? Yes, the Steelers responded. No one who was paying attention believed that the Steelers’ formula—being outplayed for most of the game yet managing to win—could continue. (At least one team member stated as much while the recorders were running.) However, the Steelers’ performance in the last three games has been more than just a return to reality. Rather, it’s an all-time crater that serves two purposes: One is that it establishes a new benchmark for the number of ways a team might disintegrate simultaneously. And second, it takes a proud team with six Super Bowls remaining to admit that its tried-and-true model isn’t working.

The demise of the Steelers is a case study. It’s possible that they won’t learn from it, or that they will. However, the chaos they’ve caused may be ignored by everyone on the planet. since it is astounding. Of course, this has sparked the once-periodic discussion on whether the Steelers should fire Tomlin, their largely successful 17-year head coach. But there’s debris to sort through in order to determine if the Steelers should make that extreme move.

The Steelers’ on-field issues are not exclusive to them; they have many facets. They chose second-year player Pickett in the first round out of the nearby University of Pittsburgh, and he is among the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. Although Pickett has performed horribly, he has also collaborated with Matt Canada, an incompetent offensive coordinator, for practically his whole career. A week prior to the start of this losing run, the Steelers dismissed Canada, but their two appointed assistants haven’t fared any better. (The only encouraging thing was that the Steelers scored 400 yards in their first game back from Canada, ending a 58-game run in which no team had previously accomplished that feat in the NFL.)

Pickett suffered an injury during the Arizona defeat. After the most recent defeat to Indianapolis, his backup, former No. 2 overall draft selection Mitchell Trubisky, was benched due to his poor play. Throughout the league, 2023 has been a year of solid backup performance, with a variety of journeymen and late-round draft picks rising to keep their clubs competitive. The Cleveland Browns, who play in the AFC North opposite the Pittsburgh Steelers, have won games with players like Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round rookie, and Joe Flacco, a former Baltimore Raven who was out of football but is now 2-1 with Cleveland. Jake Browning, who went undrafted in 2019 and had never played in an NFL game, has a 3-1 record for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers lack an inventive offensive strategy and a demonstrable ability to develop offensive talent, which is why none of their quarterbacks have produced anything of the kind. The group has also done a terrible job of sharing chances. There are two running backs in Pittsburgh. Last year, Jaylen Warren, the talented one, signed as an undrafted free agent. In 2021, Najee Harris—the evil guy—was selected in the first round. Because benching Harris would officially prove that choosing him was a waste, the Steelers frequently give Harris the ball. The Steelers have also had some unfortunate breaks, just like any other club. Their middle defense has been severely damaged by injuries, losing the majority of their safeties and inside linebackers. Another safety was suspended for the remainder of the year after he was found to have made too many unlawful hits.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were experiencing one of the greatest runs of success in football a month ago—they were accomplishing more with less resources. The Steelers had a 7–4 record going into Week 13, despite having a restricted (read: terrible) quarterback in Kenny Pickett, an awful offensive coach who had recently been dismissed, and a defense that gave up yards in large quantities. Even though they lost the yardage differential in every game, the squad had already made league history by being the first to sit above.500 through nine or more games. Both the Dec. 3 game and the next week’s matchup with the New England Patriots, who also had just two victories to their record, would take place at home against the 2-10 Arizona Cardinals. In spite of Pittsburgh’s shortcomings, both opponents ought to have been rather easy pickings for a club headed for the playoffs; instead, the Steelers created another history by being the first winning team to lose a straightaway game to a team eight games below.500. Last Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts, who had allowed the Steelers to take an early 13-0 lead before scoring 27 straight points, suffered yet another defeat. At 7-7 right now, head coach Mike Tomlin’s club has little chance of qualifying for the AFC playoffs.

Can the downfall of a football club be both predictable and unexpected at the same time? Yes, the Steelers respond. No one who was paying attention believed that the Steelers’ formula—be outplayed for the most of the game yet manage to win—could continue. (At least one team member stated as much while the recorders were running.) However, the Steelers’ performance in the last three games has been more than just a return to reality. Rather, it’s an all-time crater that serves two purposes: One is that it establishes a new benchmark for the number of ways a team might disintegrate simultaneously. And second, it takes a proud team with six Super Bowls remaining to admit that its tried-and-true model isn’t working.

The demise of the Steelers is a case study. It’s possible that they won’t learn from it or that they will. However, the chaos they’ve caused may be ignored by everyone on the planet. since it is astounding. Of course, this has sparked the once-periodic discussion on whether the Steelers should fire Tomlin, their largely successful 17-year head coach. But there’s debris to sort through in order to determine if the Steelers should make that extreme move.

The Steelers’ on-field issues are not exclusive to them; they have many facets. They chose second-year player Pickett in the first round out of the nearby University of Pittsburgh, and he is among the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. Although Pickett has performed horribly, he has also collaborated with Matt Canada, an incompetent offensive coordinator, for practically his whole career. A week prior to the start of this losing run, the Steelers dismissed Canada, but their two appointed assistants haven’t fared any better. (The only encouraging thing was that the Steelers scored 400 yards in their first game back from Canada, ending a 58-game run in which no team had previously accomplished that feat in the NFL.)

Pickett suffered an injury during the Arizona defeat. After the most recent defeat to Indianapolis, his backup, former No. 2 overall draft selection Mitchell Trubisky, was benched due to his poor play. Throughout the league, 2023 has been a year of solid backup performance, with a variety of journeymen and late-round draft picks rising to keep their clubs competitive. The Cleveland Browns, who play in the AFC North opposite the Pittsburgh Steelers, have won games with players like Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a fifth-round rookie, and Joe Flacco, a former Baltimore Raven who was out of football but is now 2-1 with Cleveland. Jake Browning, who went undrafted in 2019 and had never played in an NFL game, has a 3-1 record for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Steelers lack an inventive offensive strategy and a demonstrable ability to develop offensive talent, which is why none of their quarterbacks have produced anything of the kind. The group has also done a terrible job of sharing chances. There are two running backs in Pittsburgh. Last year, Jaylen Warren, the talented one, signed as an undrafted free agent. In 2021, Najee Harris—the evil guy—was selected in the first round. Because benching Harris would officially prove that choosing him was a waste, the Steelers frequently give Harris the ball. The Steelers have also had some unfortunate breaks, just like any other club. Their middle defense has been severely damaged by injuries, losing the majority of their safeties and inside linebackers. Another safety was suspended for the remainder of the year after he was found to have made too many unlawful hits.