By Mark Madden
September 8, 2013
Here’s the upshot of the football miracle known as (drum roll) outside zone blocking so far: 32 yards rushing and David DeCastro tap-dancing his way into the back of Maurkice Pouncey’s right knee.
Get Pouncey another hat. This one should read FREE BEN.
Yinzer Nation was blaming Ben Roethlisberger via Twitter even as the clock wound down at the end of yesterday’s season-opening 16-9 loss to Tennessee at Heinz Field. Not a surprise. That’s all the uneducated football fan knows to do: Blame the quarterback.
But with that line, those backs, those receivers and especially that game plan, Roethlisberger doesn’t stand a chance. He was surrounded by scrubs in the huddle and Titans after the snap. You can’t shine excrement.
Isaac Redman is an undrafted small-college bum who shouldn’t be in the NFL, let alone the starting running back on a supposed playoff contender. All three Titans backs were clearly better.
The offensive line might be good … someday. But Roethlisberger, and the Steelers’ season, can’t wait for it to gel.
Antonio Brown isn’t a No. 1-level receiver. Emmanuel Sanders isn’t a No. 2-level receiver. With Heath Miller injured, the Steelers don’t have a legitimate starting tight end.
Roethlisberger is painted into a corner. The Titans’ defense jammed the line and blitzed with impunity. It had nothing to fear.
The Steelers are That ‘70s Team. That’s how many points they might score this season: Somewhere in the 70s.
Todd Haley’s cute little dink-and-dunk game plan would be better executed by Mike Tomczak. Haley equals Kelso. It’s a bad offense that can’t do anything to maximize the superstar quarterback.
It took the Steelers’ offense 57 minutes and 30 seconds to score against a defense that ranked 27th in the NFL last year. Kickoffs to the goal line were the Steelers’ primary weapon. With Pouncey injured, Shaun Suisham should be named an offensive captain.
Did you see Thursday’s NFL opener between Baltimore and Denver? That’s the way NFL football is currently played. The Steelers aren’t even playing the same sport.
If dropping back to pass would get Ben hurt, get better blockers. If there’s no deep threat, get one. Letting Max Starks and Mike Wallace go was insanity, as got proven yesterday. In 2008, Roethlisberger signed a contract worth $102m. But the organization refuses to put him in a position to succeed.
NFL football isn’t going to conform to the Steelers’ old-school vision. The Steelers have officially been left behind. Only the Titans’ incompetence kept the score relatively close.
Yesterday was a game the Steelers needed to win to establish confidence and credibility. Now they come off a nightmare offensive fiasco and travel to Cincinnati.
The Bengals are 0-1, but their defensive front seven may be football’s best. The Steelers’ offensive line doesn’t have depth, won’t have Pouncey, and probably won’t “gel” in eight days.
Yeah, I know, Myron: They’re the Bungles, and it would be just like the Steelers to turn things around. Keep dreaming.
This shambles wasn’t slapped together overnight. It’s the result of lousy tactical acumen, poor personnel decisions and misplaced trust in an assembly line of teacher’s pets.
The Steelers are 0-1 because they deserve to be. Their record after 16 games will be exactly what they deserve, too.
On the plus side, rookie Jarvis Jones made a big play. That’s one more than Jason Worilds has ever made. But Worlds kept playing.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9)
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