The Steelers’ 0-1-1 start with the undefeated Bucs on the horizon is the fault of management for following a questionable “organizational philosophy”

 … I warned about this last year

Many Steeler fans are frantic right now. They had picked their club to win 12 or 13 games at the start, and now they are facing the prospect that it could be 0-2-1 after next week's Monday Night Football game at undefeated Tampa Bay.

And the Cincinnati Bungles are undefeated! The Ravens are 1-1, and the Steelers are tied for last place in the AFC-North with the Browns, who almost upset the Saints last Sunday.

So, how did we arrive at this unpleasant juncture? It was a definitive change in “organizational philosophy” by management, which includes the head coach, after winning a Super Bowl and making its way back to another one two years later. At that time, Mike Tomlin was considered a young genius.

But, those years, from 2008 to 2010, seem like eons ago. The Steelers have not come close since.

Why not? What happened?

In order to understand the situation in the 21st Century, you have to go back to the construction of what became the joy of Steeler Nation: the 1970s. This history lesson is an important one.

Tomlin’s philosophical change

The first part of this analysis is an acknowledgment that Tomlin has been superbly successful in the regular season games. He had a record of 116-60 entering the season, which means that he has won more than 65 percent of his games. That is better than Chuck Noll compiled in his career.

However, where he has faltered lately — since his change in philosophy — is in the postseason. He has been woeful there, and frankly, I made a prediction that I will stand by: The Steelers will never win another Super Bowl with Tomlin as coach — for a variety of reasons.

Hope I am wrong, but …

The philosophical change that altered the direction of the franchise that Noll had established in 1969 with the selection of Mean Joe Greene in the first round was this. Offense wins championships, not defense. That goes against conventional thinking by experts, but that is what Tomlin thinks now.

That was a strange change for a defensive coach, and I am not certain why that has taken place. The result if that the focus of the draft during that last ten years has been offense.

Balance

However, the word that Tomlin does not understand is balance. To win championships, you need both, a strong offense and a tough defense … but few teams win Super Bowls without a strong defense. 

Those naysayers will point to the Patriots, saying that without Brady, they do not win those rings. They are right, to a point. The Patriots always have an adequate defense, as they demonstrated to the Steelers in an embarrassing loss for Tomlin.

That was obvious two years ago when Tom Brady made the Steelers look silly as he picked apart the D in the AFC championship game, winning by three touchdowns, 36-17.

Now, today, that defense is shaky at best because Tomlin and GM Kevin Colbert decided to ignore a glaring need — and it, plus some poor picks, is really hurting them.

For instance, they lost in the first round of the 2017 postseason, after winning 13 games during the season, by losing to Jacksonville, 45-42. They scored 42 points and lost — because of their woeful defense.

On Sunday, they watched a quarterback starting his first season in the NFL pick them apart. Patrick Mahomes completed 23 of 28 passes (82 percent) for 326 yards and six touchdowns in a 42-37 victory at Heinz Field. His passer rating against the Steelers was 154.8.

In Pittsburgh, the natives are restless — particularly with games against the currently undefeated Bucs, the once-beaten Ravens, the undefeated Falcons, and the undefeated Bengals lurking around the corner. When was the last time that the Steelers were in the AFC-North cellar?

Probably before Tomline changed his "organizational philosophy."

Noll’s balance

When you look at the foundation of Chuck Noll’s era in which he won four Super Bowls in six years in the 1970s, the first thing you have to realize that those teams were known for the Steel Curtain, that dominant front four, with two NFL hall of fame linebackers and one HF defensive back. 

They were known for decades for rock-ribbed, tough, intense, physical defense. Not any longer.

Joe Greene was the foundation, the first pick, in Noll's first season, 1969, but he then selected a QB as a first-round pick who also became a hall of famer the next season, Terry Bradshaw. He followed that with a wide receiver, Frank Lewis, and then running back Franco Harris, who became another hall-of-famer, the next two years.

However, the key is often not just in the first round picks, but those in the intermediate rounds. In 1971, they drafted Jack Ham in the second round, and he became a member of the NFL HF. In the fourth round, they drafted defensive lineman Dwight White, and he became one of the Steel Curtain. In the 11th round that year, they selected Mike Wagner, and he became a solid DB.

In the third round in 1970, they drafted Mel Blount two rounds after Bradshaw, and he too became a HFer. In the tenth round in 1969, they found L.C. Greenwood, another member of the Curtain. And in the second round of 1974, they found Jack Lambert, one of the best middle LBs ever, and he also joined the HF.

In short, they built that superb defense with a variety of draft picks, and even a free agent, Donnie Shell. That was the foundation.

Cowher continued the defensive emphasis

Bill Cowher continued with the defensive tradition, and while he too did not win as well as he could have in the postseason, that was the foundation of his two Super Bowl appearances, one of which he won in 2005.

The linebackers included Kevin Greene, a sack machine, Greg Lloyd, and Levon Kirkland, among others. They were the backbone of his defenses.

Then Mike Tomlin came along in 2007, and he inherited some very good defensive players, including James Harrison and Troy Polamalu.

Two NFL defensive players of the year

Harrison and Polamalu became AFC defensive players of the year, Harrison in 2008 and Polamalu in 2010. They were the backbone of the teams that won the Super Bowl over Arizona and then finished second to Green Bay.

However, somehow, Tomlin believed that in order to win Super Bowls, you needed to focus on offense, not defense.

Change

They did need to start working on replacing an aging offensive line, and used first round picks on center Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro and a second on Marcus Gilbert. Those three are starting and have played well.

They have helped protect Roethlisberger and give him time to throw, as well as block for disturbed running back Le’Veon Bell.

However, they simply have not drafted the best defensive players over the past seven or eight years. First rounders like Jarvis Jones and Bud Dupree have been disappointments, though Cam Heyward and Ryan Shazier were not. However, that is 50 percent, not a good number. The jury is out on Artie Burns, but he is no Rod Woodson or Mel Blount. Javon Hargrave has been a good pick, but Cameron Sutton has not come along.

The difference, though, is not just personnel. It reflects an elaborate change of emphasis.

The defense is struggling right now because GM Kevin Colbert has allowed Tomlin to dictate a change in drafting, not looking at need and instead looking at the best athlete available.

Linebackers

The failure of the Steelers to draft an inside linebacker in the past two drafts after they failed to re-sign their leading tackler over the past decade, Lawrence Timmons, and then lost their other inside linebacker, Shazier, last year to a debilitating injury.

When Tomlin and Colbert met with the media, they attempted — rather poorly — to justify not drafting linebackers when that was — and is — their desperate need. Colbert mentioned that Tyler Matakevich, a seventh-round pick, would replace Shazier.

Really? And Vince Williams, who was a sixth-round pick and replaced Timmons, is not nearly the player than Timmons was. According to the Patriot-News in April, “Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin explained the lack of an inside linebacker pick along multiple lines. The general manager emphasized not sacrificing the long-term future of the franchise to fill an immediate need, and credited Mike Tomlin for backing to do so. Tomlin noted, when asked, that what an inside linebacker looks like, and when, has changed.”

And then, Colbert appeared to be throwing Tomlin under the bus if this does not work. "Coach [Tomlin] was awesome throughout this process in saying 'No, let's respect the board and let's look at who's the best players available,'" Colbert said. "And then we'll adjust from there."

That was when Tomlin acknowledged his change. “Not chasing positions of apparent need, he said, was a matter of organizational philosophy,” the Patriot-News reported. 

USA Today wrote earlier this year about the Steelers' failure to draft good linebackers. "The Steelers have been hit and miss with their first round picks as of late. While Shazier and Timmons were great selections, Dupree and Jarvis Jones were not and a 50-percent strike rate with your top pick is unacceptable. Particularly when you are using four of your last five first-round picks on the position.

"Given that any selection made after the fifth-round cannot be expected to make significant long-term contributions to any team, the performances of Vince Williams, Tyler Matakevich and even Anthony Chickillo have been a bonus. It is the failures of the mid-round picks that have really hurt the Steelers reputation when it comes to evaluating linebacker talent."
Not adjusting

“We’ll adjust” is right. Now, they have to face a QB who has thrown for over 400 yards the past two weeks, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and they do not have the personnel to match it. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, a first-round pick last year, is starting to look good, so that is positive. However, the defense as a whole is just pitiful.

And it is a matter of organizational philosophy that has gotten us there.

Conclusion

Putting all the eggs on the offensive side has not produced a Super Bowl, nor have they been even close to one. With the start this year, and with their schedule looking tougher and tougher, the offense would have to perform herculean tasks in order to make up for the defensive deficiencies. 

I do not know how you can right the ship. Their pass defense is horrible, and while they have a decent rush at times, it is not enough. Mahomes proved that, and Fitzgerald may, too, and an embarrassment on MNF would be horrible. But, that is where we are right now.