Steelers need to grow like ‘Hogs’
It was 1981 when Joe Gibbs and Joe Bugel became coach and offensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins, who lost their first five games but rallied strong to finish 8-8.
The key to the rally was probably the coming together of an offensive line that included 鈥渂asically four rookies,鈥� as Bugel put it.
They had drafted tackle Mark May in the first round and center Russ Grimm in the third round that year, and those two, and undrafted tackle Joe Jacoby and the previous year鈥檚 rookie long-snapper, Jeff Bostic, were put on a line with veteran right tackle George Starke.
Of course, Bugel and Gibbs moved those guys around some in 鈥�81. May was even benched initially to make room for Jacoby, before May was moved to guard to replace Willie Colon.
Or someone.
Anyway, those Redskins came back the next season as 鈥淗ogs,鈥� so dubbed by Bugel in training camp 鈥�82, and they proceeded to win zero preseason games. And now you understand where I鈥檓 coming from and perhaps where I鈥檓 going.
After the Steelers had lost their final preseason game Thursday to finish 0-4, Dallas-based journalist Rick Gosselin tweeted that the last team to finish 0-4 in preseason and win the next Super Bowl were those 1982 Washington Redskins.
So, it hasn鈥檛 happened in 31 years. What chances do these Steelers really have of bucking those numbers?
And, really, every winless preseason in Pittsburgh prior to this has been the father of a barren post-season:
鈥� The 2006 Steelers went 8-8.
鈥� The 1987 Steelers went 8-7.
鈥� And the 1965 Steelers went 2-12.
Maybe there鈥檚 a good reason it鈥檚 taken 31 years to prove that perhaps the preseason really does mean something. Of course, these Steelers of 2012 have much in common with those Redskins of 1981, and I鈥檓 not talking about their 8-8 records.
Last year, the Steelers believed they finally hit the O-line mother lode on draft day when they took David DeCastro in the first round and Mike Adams in the second. And those rookies joined a better core than those 鈥�81 Redskins rookies did.
So into this season they strode with big plans for a real running game and a healthy quarterback, but, voila, zero preseason wins.
At the end of this last loss, Steelers TV analyst Edmund Nelson disagreed with his more optimistic sidekick, Bob Pompeani, about Pomp鈥檚 optimistic prediction.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 any way they get to be 10 and 6. I really don鈥檛,鈥� Nelson said as the Steelers shook hands with the Panthers. 鈥淭his offensive line has a l-o-o-o-n-g way to improve enough that Ben Roethlisberger is comfortable back there, to make the kind of plays he鈥檚 capable of making. I think they鈥檙e a work in progress.鈥�
Agree. To. Disagree.
There鈥檚 no doubt that the Steelers鈥� O-line is 鈥渁 work in progress.鈥� Adams is struggling with his pass protection on the left side, but yet is a killer in the run game. Another positive is that DeCastro has looked like the blue-chipper everyone expected on draft day 鈥�12.
Maurkice Pouncey remains 鈥� arguably 鈥� the best center in the game. Ramon Foster pass blocks better than Chris Kemoeatu ever did and at times looks like Kemoeatu on that counter power play. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert has been destructive to both sides, but appears far more comfortable on the right side. The only question anyone surrounding these guys has is this: Can they stay healthy?
Those old 鈥淗ogs鈥� did, at least through the Super Bowl-winning 1982 season and the Super Bowl-losing 1983 season. In those two years, the five starters combined to miss only one game.
Yes, it鈥檚 been a long time since anyone has gone from winless preseason to brushing away confetti, but it has been done. And it鈥檚 been done by a team that had recognized a core weakness up front and moved decisively to fix it.
That鈥檚 what these Steelers have done. And anyway, Roethlisberger鈥檚 won Super Bowls without being 鈥渃omfortable back there.鈥�
Imagine what he can do if there鈥檚 a Hogs-like development up front this season.