For the Steelers to succeed in 2019, they have to go back to Steeler basics: Balanced offense, tough productive defense, smart coaching

… can they win 11 games?

“If the Steelers pass the ball 78 percent of the time this year, they could miss the playoffs again.”

Hugh Brady Conrad

The great Steeler tradition was built by Chuck Noll, whom the late legend Myron Cope called “the professor.”

The success of winning four Super Bowls in six years in the 1970s was not just due to having nine players who would ultimately make the NFL Hall of Fame.

Instead, it started with defense, a strong running game with a passing attack to balance it, and some intelligent coaching.

That formula has led to six Super Bowls over the past four decades. Now, however, it has been a decade since we have won one.

What do the Steelers have to do to contend this year?

First, the offense. As the quote above notes, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had the best passing numbers of his career, more then 5,000 yards, yet the team did not even make the playoffs.

Here were those numbers:

2018 Offense

Passing 5,009
Rushing 1,445
Total       6,445

Passing totals: 77.7%

The Steelers ran the ball just 22 percent of the time. Chuck Noll must have been looking down and shaking his head.

True, the game has changed significantly since the Noll era. It is now primarily a passing game.

I love that, but I also realize that if you rely exclusively on either the run or the pass, you will be in trouble.

Balance.

The key to offensive success.

If you go back to the last Super Bowl appearance of the Steelers, the team that went 14-5 but lost to the Green Bay Packers in 2010, the team ran the ball 35 percent of the time, passed about 65.

Here are those numbers:

2010 Offense 14-5

Passing 3,601
Rushing 1,924
Total       5,525

Note: That year, the defense was first in points allowed and second in yards allowed.

Now, go back to the 2008 season when the Steelers defeated the Cardinals for the last Super Bowl win.

Here are the stats for that team:

2008 Offense 15-4

Passing 3,301
Rushing 1,690
Total       4,491

They ran the ball 38 percent of the time that season.

They need to replicate those percentages this season.

Defense

In short, in both of the Super Bowl seasons, the defense was paramount. In the previous four Super Bowls, the defense was paramount.

It not longer is, which is why while I think they will win 11 games, I cannot see them winning a Super Bowl this year.

Still, the defense is improved. We may not have a Troy Polamalu or James Harrison — two NFL Defensive Players of the Year — on the team.

Nor do we have four future members of the NFL Hall of Fame. 

Nevertheless, they have the potential to sack QBs and to pick off some passes.

To win those 11 games, we need significant improvement with the inside linebackers. That looks better.

And we have to defense the pass better.

Our team tonight will figure out where they are at this point.


Coaching




Somewhere along the line, Mike Tomlin became more like Buddy Parker and less like Chuck Noll. He is still winning games, but the team has been drama-driven with little to no discipline.




If Tomlin returns to his Chuck Noll form that he exhibited in the first four years, then the team has a chance to compete.




If not, they may be sitting home in January.