I was listening to NFL Radio yesterday, and they were interviewing Vikings coach Brad Childress about the game Sunday in Pittsburgh, and Pat Kirwan, an excellent NFL mind in my opinion, said he felt that the Vikings Sunday lost to a “great” football team in the Steelers.
Do you agree?
For sure the teams win over the Vikings has opened eyes again that the club is going to be a force to be reckon with in the AFC come January, but at this point, are the Steelers really a “great” football team? I am not going to lie, I had a feeling of dread as Adrian Peterson ran over William Gay Sunday to put the Vikings in at least a position to tie the game in the final minutes before the pick six saved them.
They have had two fourth quarter let downs already (Cincy and Chicago), and it just felt like another one was coming as they were up 10 before they were able to pull it out. Where do you stand with this team right now after four straight wins and a bye week before going to Denver to play possibly another undefeated team (personally I think the Ravens are going to beat up the Broncos).
If I had to make a statement right now, and I think Mike Tomlin would agree, I would call the Steelers a “very good” team. They are better on offense than any year I can remember, but even with that Sunday were shut down a bit by a good defense. The special teams needs to get better, as shown by Percy Harvin, and the defense needs to close out games better than they have.
They are a very good team. Nothing more, and right now, by no means is this team great. That could change though with a few more wins.
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mark
October 28, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Definitely NOT a great team right now. There are too many holes/questions that surround this team to be called great. That being said, they were not great last season either but won a championship. Last years offense was mediocre, the o-line was only serviceable, the running game suffered from the mediocre line play and the RB injuries.Only the defense could be considered great in 2008. This season, its the offense that has the ability to be great while the defense is still very good. I am trying not to split hairs while talking about the defense, but the early collapses cause me to think that they have some problems. The special teams has been average but certainly can get better. So right now this is a VERY good team. A championship caliber team that can still get better in areas that right now might keep them from repeating.
DrGeorge
October 29, 2009 at 9:21 am
Matt and Mark, I agree with both of you, as usual. I might quibble about “very good” because I don’t know what it means.
The Steelers 5-2 record puts them in the top 25% of the NFL, but is that “very good”? The special teams unit is average, statistically and in actual play. The defense can elevate its play to the top 10% on occasion against the run(Minn. game), but has significant lapses into mediocrity on pass defense that cost the team wins against Cincy and Chicago and almost lost the Minn. game. Worse, the defense has suffered significant injuries in recent weeks and lacks depth. How long can the defense maintain this level of play?
The offense can score against any NFL defense, and has explosive potential, but Ben has inexplicable lapses, as against Minn., and as Ben goes, so goes the offense. The offense also lacks the ability to convert 3rd and short or control the clock with the run, a significant strategic deficiency.
On balance, the Steelers are potentially an excellent team, but at present are merely a good team that plays like a ‘very good’ team on occasion. As Mark aptly notes, they weren’t great last year and won the Super Bowl; but I don’t see the same level of play yet from this season’s Steelers. The effort is there, but the talent level is slightly reduced due to injuries, and the coaching staff has yet to address the causes of the repeated 4th Qtr. collapse on pass defense that began with the Titans game last year or the flaws on special teams. Fix those two deficiencies, and the grade goes to A.
The Steelers are very much a work in progress, and the margin for error is small. If ‘very good’ is a B+, I’d say the Steelers are a solid B now, but improving.
Mike
October 29, 2009 at 10:36 am
I would say the steelers are just a good team, right now. I think I would be concerned if they were firing on all cylinders in September and October. It is very difficult to play at a high level all year. All that matters is that they are great when they have to be. I want them to be great when they need to be in certain points of games at the begining of the year. Aside from the hicups against the Bengirls and Bears, they have been. December and January football is when they need to step it up. Again, they don’t need to be a great team all year, they just need to be great when they have to.
Rachel
October 29, 2009 at 2:31 pm
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mark
October 30, 2009 at 9:21 am
Hey Mike. Good to hear your comments. My concern is getting to January. If the Steelers do NOT fix these problems then playing in January could be a stretch. The schedule looks to favor the Steelers winning 10 or 11 games, but we all know what happens when you look ahead and count on wins. If the team doesnt address these holes and at least tighten them, getting to January might be a problem. It would be a shame to not at least get to the post season because of the stubborness to fix or at least address glaring problems. If the fans can see them I have to hope the coaches do too!