On Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh Steelers will meet the Baltimore Ravens with first place in the AFC North on the line. Most of the country will see what many consider the best rivalry in professional football. It will be the 34th meeting between John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin. CBS is counting on another epic battle.
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Steelers' Hines Ward against the Baltimore Ravens.
Steeler Nation should be juiced for this home game. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. The Ravens have hardly been mentioned this week in Pittsburgh. The fan base is laser-focused on Tomlin, Matt Canada, and Art Rooney II. Since the Houston Texans taunted the Steelers with a pass to Nico Collins to run up the score in Week 4, fans have been angry.
Rooney remains silent on the coaching staff. Tomlin blamed the player's toughness and put them back in pads. Canada showed some serious passion and got angry at the CBS broadcast team that he said violated his trust. They supposedly disclosed that Canada revealed his offense wasn’t built to come from behind. He immediately clarified he meant that pertained to the 30-7 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, not the 30-6 drubbing by the Texans.
You literally can’t make these things up. The current sad state of the Steelers is having a massive impact on fans. Mr. Rooney needs to wake up fast. A home game against the Baltimore Ravens for first place has been met with indifference. Andrew Fillipponi from The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller ran a poll on social media on Friday gauging fan passions, which was shocking.
Good morning. Who do you dislike more right now?
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) October 6, 2023
Over 6,000 votes were cast in the Twitter/X poll, and a shocking 79% chose Canada. Fans have been, at best, apathetic towards the Week 5 matchup. The Ray Lewis versus Ben Roethlisberger days are long gone, but this is the first time that some Steelers fans are openly rooting for an ugly loss.
Had a lengthy discussion with a friend yesterday. He insists the best thing Sunday is for Steelers to lose - because they are just average anyway, and it’s all a mirage.
— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) October 5, 2023
While I get his point, I can’t bring myself to root against them. I just can’t.
Where are you in all this?
In nearly 50 years of rooting for the Steelers, the morale of the fan base has never been lower. The fans have lost complete faith in the coaches and are actively bailing on Kenny Pickett, Najee Harris, and even the phenomenally talented George Pickens. The organization might be running a decade behind the times, but comparing Pickens's anger to Antonio Brown's antics is a bit much. Can you imagine how Brown would have acted if they failed to include him in the game plan?
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Antonio Brown extends himself over the goal line to score against the Baltimore Ravens.
Fillipponi and his co-hosts, Chris Mueller and Donny Chedrick, talked about the fan base's lack of interest in the Ravens and, instead, the state of the franchise. It is the first time they will face Lamar Jackson since Roethlisberger retired; (he was out both games last year) many fans could care less. A caller stated it was the first time in the history of the team that the Steelers were home underdogs three games in a row. On the surface, it was an outrageous claim, but the trio, upon discussion, acknowledged they couldn't refute it.
"I did not know that stat. I usually pride myself on information like that," Fillipponi retorted. "If that is true, that's mind-blowing. Obviously, they must not have been doing these things in the 1960s the way that they are right now. In the last 50 years, going back to when Noll started, it makes sense. Three consecutive home games a dog."
It is hard to verify a claim like that because of the NFL's wink-wink relationship with gambling for years. The injury report and segments discussing point spreads dating back to Jimmy The Greek on the NFL Today are evidence of the league's willingness to benefit from the interest generated by gamblers. It is even more disheartening to hear the trio acknowledge that it might be a true statement during the Super Bowl era.
The Steelers are unique in the Super Bowl era. They have not had the first overall pick since they selected Terry Bradshaw in 1970. After the team scored its first touchdown and won its first playoff game with the Immaculate Reception in 1972, the Steelers have only posted a losing record seven times. They have won 20 division titles, the most in the NFL during that period, and are tied for the league lead with 6 Lombardi Trophies.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs.
No team gets Steeler Nation's dander up like the Ravens. There have been so many great moments between these two teams. The NFL has all but outlawed physical football, but even they know they can't control the punishment that these two teams dish out when they meet. The lack of intensity from the fan base does not bode well for the Steelers on Sunday.
It also should send a clear message to ownership that fans are tired of a mediocre on-field product. Tomlinisms and silence are not going to work any longer. When the state of the team is more of a story than a game with the Ravens, Mr. Rooney, you have lost the plot. Failure to address it will alienate the best fan base in all of sports.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you excited for Sunday and a shot at the top of the AFC North? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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