The Pittsburgh Steelers missed the playoffs this season. They lost a Hall of Fame quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger and signed Mitch Trubisky to replace him on the first day of free agency. That plan lasted all the way to the NFL draft when he became a bridge quarterback to Pitt Panthers rookie Kenny Pickett. Trubisky had little control over who the Steelers drafted but he did have four games to prove himself and he managed to go 1-3.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) celebrates beside teammates after scoring a touchdown against the New York Jets during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)
At halftime of the fifth game of the season, Mike Tomlin made a change. He inserted his rookie signal caller and decided the future was now. Pickett led the Steelers to a lead against the New York Jets but the defense without TJ Watt couldn’t hold it and they fell to 1-4. Ultimately, they limped into the bye 2-6, and morale was low in Pittsburgh. During the latest episode of Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger, the legendary signal-caller discussed the season and the mindset of the team heading into Week 18 with his cohost Spencer T’eo.
“I’ve been in them where you got to play this one, you have to win and then still get some help,” Roethlisberger observed. "Pittsburgh obviously had to win first and foremost but then still needed help from two teams. As my son would say, he knew the Bills game was a no-brainer, he said the Jets game might be a little tougher.”
The Steelers came out of the bye week with Matt Canada still employed and extremely low expectations from the fan base and the NFL pundits. Watt returned, but aside from maybe playing spoiler, Pittsburgh was dead. The problem was that Tomlin didn’t get the news, he simplified and balanced a turnover-prone offense, put Watt back in the lineup and the Steelers went 3-1 over the next four games before falling to the Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback and slipping to 5-8.
“Your focus is obviously on what you and what you have to do,” Roethlisberger continued. “Win the game because nothing happens if you don’t win. It’s one of those things where I wonder when the guys started looking at the scoreboard. Once you get up two scores, you start looking like hey we got a score over there? You’re stressed that okay we did what we had to do, it’s out of our control.”
Pittsburgh Post Gazette (AP)
The Steelers entered the Carolina Panthers game with a one percent chance of making the playoffs. Pickett was ruled out with his second concussion. After the thrashing they received on the ground against the Ravens, few gave them a chance to win on the road in a must-win game for the Panthers. Trubisky played a clean game and despite a bizarre personal foul call won the game 24-16 in a deceptively decisive fashion.
The Steelers used a bunch of Pickett moxie to come from behind the next two weeks and even their record at 8-8. The once one percent playoff chance was now 15 percent, but with the Miami Dolphins starting their third-string quarterback, it felt like a lock to everyone who rooted for the black and gold. Sadly, it wasn’t, the Dolphins prevailed and the 9-8 Steelers were on the outside looking in.
“Congrats to Tomlin, the team getting another 16 straight winning seasons,” Roethlisberger concluded. “That’s awesome for him, I know it didn’t end the way he wanted to or the rest of the team because there’s one goal and that’s to win a Super Bowl. It’s a great second half of the season, 7-2 down the stretch, a lot to build on for next year. You know know no one is going to take solace in the end of this thing, the Steelers are probably still mad.”
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 01: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium on January 01, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
There are no moral victories in the NFL and Tomlin would be the first to echo that. The organization doesn’t view a year where they miss the postseason as anything but a failure. Optimism is for fans and pundits, and to project Lombardi Trophies in the near future after the incredible finish to this season. The Steelers have some holes to fill and things to change to make the playoffs next season, but there aren’t as many as they thought two months ago.
What do you think Steeler Nation? We are fans so it is okay to be optimistic about next season, is the future bright? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
#SteelerNation
