Steelers’ woes can be traced back to draft day
It’s amazing how life can change in three weeks.
You can go from being single to engaged; engaged to married; married to a parent. If you are the Pittsburgh Steelers, you have gone from Super Bowl contender to dealing with more talk about liquidating the coaching staff and going into complete panic mode while still being the leaders of what has turned into a pathetic AFC North Division.
Before I get to my main point of this column, I can’t remember the last time so many teams in one division went from being perceived by the national media as legitimate threats to the New England Patriots’ ownership of the conference, to those fighting to stay above .500. First it was Cincinnati, who started the year 4-1, only to lose its next five games. Then it was Baltimore, whose defense was supposedly the best in the league. And of course now it’s the Steelers, who after winning six straight, have dropped three games, two of which came against teams that will miss the playoffs.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed that winning streak as much as anybody, but it may have been one of the most unimpressive six-game surges in recent league history. It turns out Carolina is awful and single-score wins over Jacksonville and the Bengals are really nothing upon to hang one’s hat.
So, where should the blame be placed for this latest bump in the road? There are certainly plenty of targets upon which to take aim. The usual questions about game management have cropped up once again, and the defense, which seemed to be showing some sparks of life, has started to look like its old porous self after giving up second-half leads in every game of the skid.
With the Steelers’ almost mythical history considering head coaches’ longevity, it would be foolish of me to throw out any scenarios concerning any of the positions on the sidelines. However, I think the team’s long-standing traditions of not being aggressive in improving its position in the draft may have not only cost them this year, but in the future.
It was no secret that the team was interested in Boise State inside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, an undersized by hyper-athletic and hyper-productive standout at the position. Sound familiar?
As the opening round played itself out, Pittsburgh was still alive for Vander Esch as their No. 28 pick drew closer. But then came Dallas at pick 19, a spot that many thought would see America’s Team take Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley. Instead, Jerry Jones and his brain trust made a move that ended up changing the fortunes of his franchise and maybe doing the same for the Steelers in selecting Vander Esch.
To be fair, Ridley, who wound up in Atlanta, may have indeed helped out the Cowboys, as he has turned in a respectable rookie campaign for the Falcons (51 catches, 657 yards, eight touchdowns). Vander Esch, on the other hand, has already established himself as one of the most productive backers in the NFL and a centerpiece of a Dallas defense that has shot up to elite status this year.
A strong contender for defensive rookie of the year, Vander Esch already has 108 tackles and two interceptions. He has no sacks, but that would not be an issue for a team like Pittsburgh that generates such a tremendous pass rush from its defensive line and outside duo of T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree.
What this team has desperately needed is help for its safeties against slot receivers and tight ends. This was never more evident than when it gave up 116 yards on seven catches to Oakland tight end Jared Cook.
Maybe the Steelers really thought they could get Vander Esch at 28, or maybe they felt comfortable with getting the best safety available. Maybe they really believed Dallas would go wide receiver with it being such a glaring position of need or maybe they had Vander Esch graded in the top 20 and weren’t comfortable with what it would take to trade up to that area.
I realize hindsight is 20/20, but after seeing what the defense looked like without Ryan Shazier, management should have realized just how important that position is to this defensive scheme. Regardless of what happens with the rest of this season, it has become painfully clear that a play-making man in the middle, whether it be a free agent or draft pick, has to be priority one for the franchise.
If the front office whiffs again, it could lead to another frustrating season and with an aging offense getting less and less capable to carry the team, It could lead to utter torment for Steeler Nation.