That is the question.
Last Sunday�s game against the Chargers was meaningless
except to make a bad record not look any worse.� The Steelers aren�t going to the playoffs and neither are the
Chargers.
Given that, three things went wrong this season for the
Black and Gold:
- The
coaches didn�t perform.
- The
players didn�t perform.
- A
combination of the two.
Having said that, I�m a proponent of seeing what you have
but I have two NFL coaches arguing with me.�
Bill Cowher and Marty. Both have no chance of winning records this
season.
Bill says:� �You
don't have a choice," Cowher said. "It is an obligation that you have
to this football team, and to this organization and to the game itself. You
have an obligation. It is a privilege to be in this league and to have these
jobs. It is an obligation to go out there and try to win every week."
(Post-Gazette, December 17, 2003)
Marty says:� �We play
our starters all the time," said Schottenheimer, whose team drags a 3-11 record
into Heinz Field for the 4:05 p.m. kickoff. "Training camp is when you
evaluate players. The off-season is when you evaluate players.�� (Tribune-Review, December 21, 2003)
Here you have two coaches with decent resumes.� Marty just secured his 2nd loosing
season in 17 years.� Pretty impressive
but I think they are both wrong.
I disagree training camp is where you evaluate
youngsters.� The Steelers� training camp
doesn�t evaluate the elders let alone new meat.� A live NFL game is where you do it.� I�m not saying bench the starters in the middle of a playoff run
to evaluate new players but when you aren�t going to the playoffs one of the
aforementioned happened.� It was a
combination of both players and coaches.�
I don�t understand Bill�s logic when he says, �it is an obligation to
try to win every week.�� If we were 5-9
going into the SD game it is quite obvious we weren�t winning and changes
should be made or tried.� I hear a lot
of it is a pride thing and blah, blah, blah.�
I think it is more prudent to see what you really have.� What we really have is team going on an
early vacation, starting December 30, 2003.
Troy and Ike Taylor has been our youngster staple this
season.� Troy has consistently improved
and Ike is doing OK.� Our #2 pick sits
on the bench in street clothes while we have Russell Stuvaints (#33 if you
don�t recognize the name) is playing on every SPEC Teams play.
I don�t get it.� If
Zo Jackson is that horrible or dumb in practice, why did we pick him #2 in the
draft?
ST. Pierre.� Everyone
says we need a franchise QB and we need to make steep trades to get Eli or the kid
from Miami (OH).� We�ve never seen Brian
play.� I doubt he is a star, but we�ll
never know.�
I�ve got used to the NFL being a business.� Business sense would say �let me see what we
have before I squander some money or pick positions during a draft or free
agency in the off-season.�
Townsend recorded two interceptions and recovered a
fumble.� He has rarely played.� Been on the roster awhile and finally got
some PT and showed he can play.� To
counter that, remember Hank Poteat?� He
had some special teams play but basically rotted on the bench.� Then low and behold we need him, at a
crucial time in the season, like making the playoffs.� He was horrible and he�s gone.�
I thought Poteat was OK coming out of PITT but the Stillers never
developed him.� That is exactly my fear
with Jackson.� I can�t buy for a minute
the thought that if he can�t even dress he is getting any sort of coaching or
development during practice.� Can he really
be that bad?� His last two years at FSU
he had 125 tackles (72 by himself), 23 sacks, and 33 stops for a loss.
I can�t think of a better time to see what you really have
than in a live NFL REGULAR SEASON game.
But what do I know? I guess I�m a �think outside of the box�
guy.
Guess who got the Joe Greene Rookie of the Year Award?� Troy Polamalu.� Deserving, but who else could have won it?
Also in my diatribe, since I�m one of the last Jerome Bettis
Supporters on this site, other than S33/34:�
Congrats Big Guy.� Surpassed Marcus
Allen and is 13 yards away from surpassing Jim Brown as the 6th all
time leading rusher.
Since I�m on a rant.�
Why do we carry four tight ends on the roster?� Seriously, all the discussions we have on this site, I�ve yet to
hear an answer to this simple question.�
If someone can answer this question; Question two is why don�t we use
them?
Also a loss to the Ravens would be the first season since 1969, when the Stillers finished 1-13, that we have not won back-to-back games.� That was Chuck Noll�s first season as the head coach.