New England (thoughts)
After reviewing the film, following Coach Tomlin press conference, listening to the players media availability, and listening to the coordinators, it is clear that there is a sense of urgency this week. The captains have made that clear and the Steelers, especially their defensive players, are eager to get back out there and make amends. The Steelers have played well this seasons on Thursday night prime time (beating the Tennessee Titans) and seem to be feeling the sense of urgency. I am excited to see how the players and coaches bounce back after such a miserable day last Sunday.
As I mentioned in this week’s podcast (Steelers Optimism Podcast), I am not buying into the “sky is falling” / “the season is over” crap right now. The Steelers are in the same playoff position they were in last week (5th seed in the AFC). Had they won against the Cardinals, they would have still been in the same position (5th seed in the AFC). I truly think the Steelers turn it around this week and beat the Patriots. Nevertheless, if they were to lose, they will most likely STILL be in one of the wild card spots at the end of the weekend. There is one scenario where the Steelers would be out of the playoffs looking in (Indianapolis win in Cinci, Cleveland beats Jax, and Houston beats NYJ). All other scenarios, including a Steelers win, firmly keeps them in the 5th or 6th spot in the AFC. This is important to note as there is a lot of football left and the Steelers still have their destiny in their hands. The season is not over, and will still not be over regardless of the outcome tomorrow night. That being said, I am still very optimistic they play with an edge to rebound from the Sunday loss. In 17 years, I have not seen a team under Tomlin “unravel.” This team has too much talent in the RBs and on the defensive side to let that happen.
Lastly, I am a big Kenny Pickett fan and believe he is truly our best option for QB1; however, I am not panicking or monumentally concerned about Mitch Trubisky playing this week and next week. The drop off from Kenny to Mitch is there, but not in the same manner as situations in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, or New York. The delta is smaller mainly due to how the Steelers operate offensively. This current offense is not designed to be “Kenny Pickett show.” It is designed to run the ball with two feature backs and dominate the line of scrimmage. This will not change on Thursday. I believe if the Steelers can run the ball as they have over the last month, the offense will look the same. My only hope is that Mitch can take care of the ball as he has turned the ball over at a high percentage based on his drop backs this season.
I think the Steelers will give this fanbase a reason to forget about Sunday while wearing the color rush uniforms this week.
Go Steelers!