The Pittsburgh Steelers' season came to a crashing halt in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs to the Buffalo Bills on Monday. With the 31-17 defeat to one of the hotter teams in the NFL, the Steelers are faced with an offseason full of self-reflection and hurdles they need to climb in order to become one of the bigger threats in the AFC once again.
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Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) tries to find space to run against the Buffalo Bills in their 2023 AFC Wild Card matchup in Orchard Park, NY.
In a year that once had promise, the Steelers and Head Coach Mike Tomlin found themselves amid a downhill spiral in early December losing to two 2-10 teams and almost sinking any hopes of postseason play. After the team turned to veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph in Week 16, the offense started to find its rhythm for the first time all season. Thankfully the change at quarterback was enough to turn the season around and the Steelers were able to once again back themselves into a playoff spot.
Getting into the postseason is never an easy task in the NFL, let alone doing it with a defense as depleted as the Steelers were at the end of the season. But the performance the Steelers showed on the field in the playoffs is still worthy of criticism and disappointment. It was a clear showing of how far off the Steelers are from being a true threat to other teams around the league.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers QB Mason Rudolph (2) runs for a first down as he attempts to keep his team in the game during the Wild Card matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, NY.
Some fans and others in the media still believe change needs to come at the head coaching position for the Steelers moving forward, while others believe Tomlin still has what it takes to lead this team back to the Super Bowl. Their answer is Tomlin needs to upgrade the staff around him and find outside talent to be the coordinators heading into the 2024 season.
Well-known rapper Snoop Dogg shared his thoughts as a guest on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday and discussed where he feels this team is currently at among the landscape in the NFL.
"This man [Tomlin] has not had one terrible season. It's just a matter of the staff if you ask me. Maybe it should be the General Manager who steps in and does some assisting and says we are going to pick the defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator, and then you [Tomlin] oversee it all. We ain't been to the thing [Super Bowl] in a long time. We just keep sliding in or backing in. It's cool, but I want it all. We used to win around here. So I feel like it should be some sort of adjustment with the staff."
Snoop Dogg also compared the way the Steelers have been trying to win against the way others around the league are currently winning, and how they need to make changes to be more like those teams.
"The style of offense has to be like 2025, not 1984. I think it could be a lot better. When you think about the Bills, Chiefs, Ravens, Lions, and how they move their players around - we have too many good players not to move them around."
Steelers' Tomlin May Just Deliver Snoop Dogg's Request In 2024
In the final press conference of the season, Tomlin made it clear that the Steelers are going to look to outside sources when it comes to the offensive coordinator in 2024. This has been something fans in Pittsburgh have been wanting for quite some time. In years past, the Steelers have had a run-first offense that has seemed to be outdated.
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Steelers Head Coach has made two straight internal hires at the offensive coordinator position. This offseason he plans to look for external options to fill the need in his coaching staff.
With the Steelers looking for outside options, that will hopefully fix the offensive struggles this team has been facing and we will see a more modern style approach.
What do you think? Do you agree with Snoop Dogg and what he thinks needs changed heading into the 2024 season? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below!
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