Little Changes Will Turn into Big Results

When you dig into the record books, you will notice the last time the Pittsburgh Steelers were in a postseason game was the 2011 season, when Tim Tebow found Demaryious Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown pass in the first play of overtime. A year before, the Steelers were beat in Super Bowl XLV by a score of 31-to-25 by the Green Bay Packers. The last time the Steelers were on the winning side of a scoreboard, was the AFC Championship win over the New York Jets.

The loss to Denver hurt a lot more than expected. Since then, the Steelers have finished two straight times with just an 8-8 record and have been held out of the playoffs both seasons. The Steelers also parted ways with some of the best players to put on a Steelers jersey — Hines Ward, James Farrior, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, James Harrison, and the list continues. Now, the Steelers are looking at parting ways with Brett Keisel, Ryan Clark, Emmanuel Sanders, and possibly Ike Taylor if he is unwilling to take a pay cut.

When does the bleeding stop? The men that have made the organization so great over the last decade, have aged and are leaving the team.

The Steelers have made three interesting additions to the coaching staff this season that may have a fast change on the team. After all, this football team is use to changing on the fly and getting better quickly. After starting 0-4 in 2013, the Steelers turned things around and finished winning six of their last eight games.

The Steelers hired coaches Mike Munchak, James Saxon and Joey Porter to the staff for the 2014 season.

After just one year with the organization, the Steelers removed Jack Bicknell Jr. from the coaching staff and hired Munchak who was the head coach for the Tennessee Titans the season prior. The Steelers then hired Saxon as the team’s running backs coach after Kirby Wilson left the team to coach for the Minnesota Vikings. Lastly, on Tuesday, the Steelers hired Porter as a defensive assistant coach.

Each hire should benefit the Steelers right away. When Munchak was the offensive line coach for the Titans, Chris Johnson ran for a 2,000-yard season in 2009. Saxon comes from the Vikings where he was the coach to Adrian Peterson the last three seasons. Porter is beginning his first season as an NFL coach after a season coaching with his Alma Mater — Colorado State. Porter is one of the best outside linebackers in Steelers history and was with the team during the 2005, Super Bowl XL season.

No matter what the Steelers do in free agency or the NFL Draft this May, it might be safe to say that the Steelers have already made their three biggest additions of the offseason with Munchak, Saxon, and Porter. The men on the offensive line, along with the running backs and linebackers will be a place of focus in 2014.

Brandon Sweeney is Co-Editor of the Gab Network. Follow him on Twitter @NFLNSTUFF, Like him on Facebook , add him to Google+, and Trust him on Sulia.